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GEORGE   WASHINGTON. 


BY 

SAMUEL  M.  SCHMUCKER,  LL.  D., 

Author  of  "Public  and  Private  History  of  Napoleon  III.,  "Life  and  TiiBM 

of  Alexander  Hamilton,"  "Life  and  Times  of  Thomas  Jefferson," 

"History  of  the  Four  Georges,"  etc. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

JOHN  E.  POTTER  AND  COMPANY^ 

617  SANSOM  STREET. 


•stand,  according  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1859,  br 
SAMUEL  M.  SCHMUCKKB, 

IB  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Eastern  Dtotftt 
of  Pennsylvania. 

•TBUOTI..1-.   BT   J.  FAQUI. 


PREFACE. 


THE  life  and  achievements  of  George  Washington 
have  already  been  described  by  so  many  able  and 
accomplished  biographers,  that  it  might  be  deemed 
superfluous  in  any  other  writer  to  attempt  the  same 
task,  or  to  add  to  the  large  number  of  works  now 
existing  on  the  subject.  It  is  true,  indeed,  that  the 
records  of  Washington's  career  which  have  been 
published,  have  in  a  great  measure  exhausted  the 
subject,  so  far  as  the  discovery  and  accumulation  of 
facts  in  reference  to  him  are  concerned ;  nor  does  the 
present  writer  presume  to  have  made  any  researches 
which  have  brought  to  light  details  and  incidents 
which  were  not  previously  known. 

Nevertheless,  it  has  been  thought  that  the  want  • 
still  existed  in  our  literature  of  a  concise  and  con- 
densed narrative  of  Washington's  career,  which  would 
be  suitable  to  the  popular  reader;  for  whose  use  the 
more  aspiring  style  and  ponueious  bulk  of  other 
works  on  the  same  subject  were  not  so  well  adapted* 
It  was  to  supply  this  supposed  necessity,  that  the 
present  volume  has  been  written.  In  preparing  it  the 

14  <'"•> 

210985 


IV  PREFACE. 

author  has  made  a  careful  selection  of  the  more  im- 
portant events  connected  with  the  public  and  private 
career  of  this  illustrious  man ;  and  has  narrated  them 
in  plain  and  simple  language,  as  being  best  adapted 
to  the  purpose  for  which  the  volume  was  intended. 

It  had  been  useless  on  the  part  of  the  present 
writer,  to  have  attempted  an  elaborate  and  extensive 
work  upon  a  theme  which  has  already  been  depicted 
by  several  of  the  master-minds  of  the  age,  with  every 
charm  of  genius,  and  with  every  characteristic  of 
ability.  He  has  therefore  contented  himself  with 
endeavoring  to  portray  the  subject  in  an  unassuming, 
though,  as  he  hopes,  an  accurate  and  reliable  manner; 
at  the  same  time  making  use  of  the  most  authentic 
and  authoritative  sources  of  information  having  refer- 
ence to  it.  Whatever  imperfections  may  exist  in  the 
work,  will  be  amply  atoned  for  by  the  superior  interest 
and  dignity  of  the  subject;  for  the  life  and  public 
services  of  Washington  constitute  one  of  those  im- 
mortal tnemes,  which  no  lapse  of  time  or  vicissitude 
of  human  aftairs  can  deprive  of  their  resistless  hold 
uprn  the  attention  and  admiration  of  mankind. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Genealogy  of  the  Washington  Family — Birth  of  George  Washington— DeaUl 
of  his  Father — Influence  of  his  Mother — His  Education — His  Early  Pro- 
mise and  Youthful  Characteristics PAGE  li 

CHAPTER  II 

Laurence  Washington — The  Fairfax  Family  —  George  Washington  s  desire 
for  a  Military  Life — His  Mother  withdraws  her  Consent  to  his  entering 
the  Navy — Return  to  School,  and  Application  to  Mathematics — His  Pro- 
ficiency in  Surveying — Falls  in  Love,  and  grows  Melancholy — His  Asso- 
ciation with  the  Fairfax  Family,  and  its  Beneficial  Effects — Hunting  com* 
pletes  the  Cure  —  His  Survey  of  Lord  Fairfax'i  Domains  —  His  Appoint- 
ment as  Public  Surveyor  —  The  Perils  of  the  Wilderness  —  The  Bracinf 
Effects  of  his  Duties,  Physically  and  Mentally — Greenway  Court — Influ- 
ence of  Hardy  Toil  and  Good  Society  Combined 21 

CHAPTER  III. 

French  and  English  Disputes  respecting  the  Valley  of  the  Ohio — Grounds 
of  their  several  Claims — The  Ohio  Company — Laurence  Washington — His 
Liberal  Policy — French  Competition — De  Bienville — His  Plans — Christo- 
pher Gist,  the  Pioneer— His  Expedition  to  the  Frontier,  and  Operations 
with  the  Indian  Tribes — His  Negotiations,  and  their  Success — His  Return 
—The  Attempt  of  loncaire — His  111  Success  at  Log-Town,  and  Letter  to 
the  Governor  of  Pennsylvania — The  Indian  Territories 32 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Hostile  Preparations  of  the  English  and  French — Washington  appointed  an 
[  Adjutant-General — Mount  Vernon  becomes  a  School  of  Arms — HI  Health 
of  his  Brother  Laurence — He  accompanies  him  to  Barbadoes — Laurence 
Washington  proceeds  to  Bermuda — He  returns  to  die  at  Mount  Vernon 
—New  Duties  devolving  on  George  Washington — The  Ohio  Tribes  at  Log- 
Town —  Hostility  of  the  Six  Nations  —  Tanacharisson  before  the  French 
Commandant — His  Speech,  and  the  Frenchman's  Reply — French  Inten- 
tions—  Efforts  of  the  Ohio   Company  —  Captain  Trent  appointed  on  the 
Western  Mission  by  Governor  Dinwiddie — His  111  Success,  and  Return — 
[  Washington  appointed  to  Succeed  Him — Seta  out  in  November,  1753..  4* 
1*  (V) 


Vi  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  V. 

^Washington's  Journey  to  the  Ohio  —  Adventures  and  Observations  on  the 
^M|onongahela — His  Companions  —  Log-Town  and  the  Sachems  —  Indian 
Diplomacy — loncaire — Arrival  at  Venango — The  Results  of  Conviviality 
— The  Wampum  —  La  Force,  the  Commissary  —  Chevalier  Legardeur  — 
Affairs  at  the  Fort  —  Efforts  to  Seduce  the  Sachems  from  their  English 
Alliance — Trying  Delays — Difficult  Navigation  of  French  Creek — Wash- 
ington arrives  at  Venango — The  Half-King's  Faith  in  his  English  Bro- 
thers— The  Homeward  Route — Its  Difficulties 48 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Perils  in  the  Wilderness — Murdering-Town — Indian  Treachery — A  Night  of 
Qreat  Anxiety — Fearful  Danger  on  the  Allegheny — Fortunate  Escape- 
Queen  Aliquippa,  the  Watch-Coat,  and  the  Fire-Water — Washington 
'  crosses  the  Blue  Ridge — Chevalier  de  St.  Pierre's  Reply — The  Mission  of 
Captain  Trent  to  Ohio — Washington  raises  Recruits — Dinwiddie  finds  the 
Virginians  growing  difficult  to  govern — His  Efforts  to  raise  Recruits — 
Captain  Van  Braam — Trials  in  Transportation — Contrecoeur  at  the  Fork 
of  the  Ohio 54 

CHAPTER  VIL 

The  March  to  "Little  Meadows" — Correspondence  with  Dinwiddie  »nd 
Lord  Fairfax — The  Disinterested  Views  of  Washington — French  Emissa- 
ries— Message  from  the  Sachem — The  Great  Meadows,  and  Skirmish  with 
Jumonville — Its  Results — Washington's  First  Battle — Scarcity  of  Provi- 
sions— Death  of  Colonel  Fry,  and  Promotions — Captain  Mackey  and  the 
Independent  Company — Prayers  in  Camp — Fight  at  Great  Meadows,  and 
Surrender  of  Fort  Necessity — Thanks  voted  by  the  House  of  Burgessea 
to  the  Troops — Exceptions  made,  and  Reasons  for  them — End  of  Wash- 
ington's First  Campaign 61 

CHAPTER  VIIL 

Soreraor  Dinwiddie  and  his  Views  of  the  War — Difficulties  with  the  Assem- 
bly—  Grants  from  England,  and  Changes  in  the  Army — Washington 
throws  up  his  Commission — His  Retirement  to  Mount  Vernon — War  be 
tween  the  English  and  French — British  Plan  of  the  Campaign — General 
Braddock  appointed  Commander — Commodore  Keppel  and  his  Squadron 
— The  Effect  of  Warlike  Preparations  on  Washington — He  joins  the  Staff 
of  Braddock — His  Flattering  Reception,  and  Appreciation  by  the  Gover- 
nors in  Congress — Preparations  for  the  Expedition — Meeting  of  Officers 
at  Alexandria — Sir  John  St.  Glair  and  his  Threats — Their  Effects — George 
Crogan  and  his  Influence — Captain  Jack 73 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

fteneral  Braddock  —  His  Difficulties  about  Means  of  Transportation  —  As- 
sisted by  Benjamin  Franklin  —  Dr.  Hugh  Mercer — Captain  Gates  —  The 
Roads — Sir  John  St.  Clair — -Patriotism  of  Washington — He  is  seized  with 
a  Violent  Fever — He  recovers — Reaches  the  Camp — Plan  of  Attack  on 
Fort  Duquesne — Washington's  Advice — Blind  Obstinacy  of  Braddock  — 
Ruinous  Consequences — Dunbar — Defeat  and  Death  of  General  Braddock 
—The  Aggravated  Disgrace — Exultation  of  Contrecoaur 80 


CHAPTER  X. 

Washington  in  Command  —  Indian  Ravages  —  Panic  at  Winchester  —  The 
Savages  return  to  the  Ohio  —  The  Fate  of  the  Expeditions  against 
Niagara  and  Crown  Point  —  Military  Precedence  —  The  Decision  of 
General  Shirley  —  Earl  of  Loudoun  —  Dangers  at  Greenway  Court  — 
—  Great  Alarms  at  Winchester — Tender  Sympathies  of  Washington  — 
Illiberality  of  the  Virginia  Press  —  Its  Effects  —  Appreciation  of  Wash- 
ington by  the  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Burgesses  —  Parsimony  of 
the  Assemblies  —  Washington's  Advice  about  the  Forts  —  Great  ineffi- 
ciency of  the  Military  —  Dinwiddie's  Ambiguity  —  Fall  of  the  Fort  at 
Oswego 90 


CHAPTER  XL 

Dinwiddie  and  Lord  Loudoun — Washington's  Relations  with  them — His  Ad- 
vice respecting  the  Reduction  of  Fort  Duquesne — Failure  of  the  Expedi- 
tion against  Crown  Point — Washington's  111  Health — He  recovers,  and 
resumes  Command — Expeditions  in  the  North — Expedition  against  Fort 
Duquesne — Washington's  First  Interview  with  Mrs.  Custis — His  Opinion 
and  Advice  respecting  the  Line  of  March— Fort  Duquesne — The  Engage- 
ment— Colonel  Bosquet — Washington  plants  the  English  Standard  on  tha 
Ruins  of  the  Fort--His  Marriage  with  Mrs.  Custis "10ft 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Washington  in  the  House  of  Burgesses — His  Residence  at  Mount  Vernon— 
A  Description  of  his  Character — Enjoyments  and  Pursuits  in  Rural  Life 
— Washington's  Industry  —  He  explores  the  Dismal  Swamp  —  Courtly 
Habita  in  the  Old  Dominion — Washington  the  Model  of  a  Virginia  Gen- 
tleman   it  109 


nil  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Causes  leading  to  the  American  Revolution — Restrictions  on  Commerce  nnd 
Manufactures — The  Right  to  tax  America,  and  other  Grievance? — Tho 
Stamp  Act — Speech  of  Patrick  Henry — Repeal  of  the  Stamp  Act — T'is 
Offensive  Clause  retained — The  Equanimity  of  Washington — Lord,  Boto- 
tourt,  his  Character,  and  Death — The  General  Court  of  Boston — Washing- 
ton makes  a  Tour  to  the  Ohio — His  Affliction  on  the  Death  of  Miss  Custis 
—  Difficulties  as  the  Guardian  of  John  Parke  Custis  —  Earl  of  Duuinore 
Governor  of  Virginia — The  Tea  thrown  into  the  Sea  at  Boston — Boston 
Port  Bill — Washington  as  Chairman  and  Delegate — His  Enthusiastic  Pa- 
triotism— Affairs  in  Boston,  and  Embarrassment  of  General  Gage 115 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

First  Continental  Congress  in  Philadelphia — Its  Proceedings — Washington 
at  Mount  Vernon — Generals  Putnam  and  Lee  in  Boston — Their  Antece- 
dents— Major  Gates  and  the  Visitors  at  Mount  Vernon — Lee's  Fondness 
for  singular  Pets — Washington  a  Delegate  to  the  Richmond  Convention — 
Speech  of  Patrick  Henry — Washington's  Convictions  corroborated — Bat- 
tles of  Lexington  and  Concord  —  The  War  begun  —  Views  of  Washing- 
ton   126 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Ethan  Allen  and  the  Green  Mountain  Boys — Benedict  Arnold — Capture  of 
Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point  —  Canada  opened  to  the  Patriots  —  The 
Second  Congress  appoints  Washington  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Con 
tinental  Army — His  Remarks  on  the  Occasion — He  selects  his  Gencralj 
and  Officers — British  Reinforcements  under  Howe — Burgoyno  and  Clin- 
ton—  Seizure  of  the  Heights  of  Charlestown  —  Breed's  Hill  and  Bunker 
Hill  —  Fortifications — Surprise  of  General  Gage — The  Battle  of  Bunker 
Hill— Its  Results 135 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Washington's  Journey  to  the  Army — Its  Condition  and  Deficiency  in  Pow- 
der, Clothing,  and  Intrenching  Tools  —  The  Forces  of  the  Enemy,  their 
Position,  superior  Discipline,  and  Equipments  —  General  Greene  —  The 
Commander-in-Chief  enforces  strict  Discipline — His  Establishment  at 
Head-quarters — Great  Anxiety  in  consequence  of  the  want  of  Powder — 
Writes  for  a  Supply  to  Ticonderoga  and  the  Jerseys — Bold  Project — Cor- 
respondence with  General  Gage — Its  Effects — Description  of  Event?  trans- 
piring at  a  Distance  from  Head-quarters — Rivalry  of  Arnold  and  Allen— 
Projects  for  the  Possession  of  GV  ada 147 


CONTENTS.  IX 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Benedict  Arnold  —  His  Ambition  —  Throws  up  his  Commission  —  General  "*^ 
Schnyler  attempts  the  Conquest  of  Canada  —  His  Correspondence  with 
Washington  —  State  of  Canada — Schuyler  makes  a  Treaty  with  the  Six 
Nations  at  Albany — General  Montgomery  in  Command — Indians  in  Catup 
at  Cambridge  —  Montgomery  and  Schuyler  on  the  Way  to  St.  John's  — 
Affairs  in  Boston  —  Operations  in  both  Camps  —  Expedition  intrusted  to 
Arnold — Attack  on  St.  John's  abandoned — Capture  of  Ethan  Allen — Mont- 
gomery in  Command — Gallant  Conduct  of  Arnold  and  his  Men — Treason 
in  the  Camp — Falmouth  Burnt — Capture  of  Chamblee — St.  John's  Capitu- 
lates— Arnold  and  his  Troops  reach  Quebec — Their  Intense  Sufferings.  156 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Capture  of  Montreal  and  Escape  of  Carleton — Home  Sickness  and  Insubor- 
dination— Mrs.  Washington  in  the  Camp — Arnold  plants  his  Flag  on  the 
Heights  of  Abraham — His  junction  with  Montgomery  at  Point-aux-Trem- 
bles  —  Their  Attack  on  Quebec —  Gallant  Conduct  and  Death  of  Montgo- 
mery—  Bravery  of  Arnold  —  He  fortifies  his  Position  and  continues  the 
Blockade  of  Quebec — Lord  Dunmore  in  Virginia — Lee's  Policy — Trials  of 
Washington — Want  of  Patriotism  in  the  Soldiers — General  GreenVs  In- 
fluence   173 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Condition  of  th*  Army — Knox  brings  Ammunition — Leo  sent  to  New  York 
to  prepare  Defences  and  fortify  the  Hudson — Takes  the  Command  in 
Canada  —  British  Theatricals  —  Washington's  Anxiety  —  Preparation  to 
take  Dorchester  Heights  —  The  Heights  Captured,  and  Surprise  of  the 
British — Their  Preparations  for  Embarkation  from  Boston — Washington' 
enters  Boston  in  Triumph — Congress  passes  a  Vote  of  ThantsTto'^Vash- 
ingtori,  and  a  Gold  Medal  is  struck,  representing  him  as  the  Deliverer  of 
the  City — Destination  of  the  British  Fleet — The  Service  divided  into  two 
Departments  by  Congress — General  Lee  appointed  to  the  South — General 
Thomas  to  Canada — Putnam  commands  New  York — General  Greene  in 
command  at  Long  Island  and  Brooklyn 183 

CHAPTER    XX. 

Th«  Defence  of  New  York  and  the  Hudson — Disastrous  News  from  Canada — 
Washington's  Appearance  in  Congress — Its  Important  Consequences  — 
The  American  Forces  compelled  to  retire  from  Canada  —  A  Conspiracy,  and 
its  Suppression — The  Declaration  of  Independence — The  British  Forces  in 
the  Vicinity  of  New  York — On  Staten  Island — In  the  Hudson — Disputed 
Question  of  Command  between  Gates  and  Schuyler — The  British  Forced 


X  CONTENTS. 

to  give  up  tneir  Attempt  on  Charleston — The  Success  cf  G?neral  Lee  and 
Colonel  Moultrie — Washington  commends  the  Behavior  of  the  American 
Troops 193 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

Advice  of  Colonel  Reed  — Arrival  of  Foreign  Troops  to  aid  the  British  — 
Sectional  Differences  of  the  Americans,  and  how  Washington  treated 
them — Illness  of  General  Greene — Preparations  for  Action  on  both  Sides 
— The  Unguarded  Pass  —  The  Midnight  March  —  The  Battle  of  Long 
Island — Defeat  of  the  Americans — Washington's  Distress — The  Retreat 
from  Long  Island — Lord  Howe  and  the  American  Commissioners....  208 

CHAPTER   XXII. 

Need  of  a  Standing  Army  —  New  York  evacuated  by  the  Americans  — The 
British  in  New  York — Successful  Skirmish,  and  its  Effects  —  The  Army 
put  on  a  New  Footing  —  Battle  on  Chatterton's  Hill  —  The  British 
take  Fort  Washington  —  Intelligence  from  the  North  —  Fort  Lee 
abandoned  —  Washington  at  Hackensack  —  General  Lee's  Tardiness 
—  The  Movements  of  Washington  —  He  reaches  Trenton  —  Proclama- 
tion of  Lord  Howe  and  his  Brother  —  Washington  crosses  the  Dela- 
ware —  Philadelphia  in  Danger  —  Washington's  Appeal  to  Lee  —  The 
Capture  of  that  General — Washington  appointed  Military  Dictator....  221 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Washington  reinforced — Gates  refuses  to  co-operate  —  Plan  of  Attack  on 
Trenton — Passage  of  the  Delaware — Battle  of  Trenton — Capture  of  the 
Hessians  —  The  Troops  receive  a  Bounty,  and  remain  —  General  Howe 
surprised — He  sends  CornwaHis  to  New  Jersey — Cornwallis  at  the  Assun- 
pink — His  Confidence  of  Success — Masterly  Movements  of  Washington — 
Cornwallis  out-generalled — Battle  of  Princeton — Death  of  General  Mer- 
cer— Effects  of  the  Battle — Increasing  Reputation  of  Washington  in  con- 
sequence of  these  Victories 245 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Washington's  Proclamation  —  Correspondence  with  General  Howe  —  111 
Treatment  of  American  Prisoners — Washington's  Perplexity  respecting 
the  British  Fleet — Lafayette's  First  Meeting  with  Washington — March  of 
the  American  Army  through  Philadelphia — The  British  at  the  Head  of 
the  Elk — Washington  on  the  Heights  at  Chadd's  Ford — Battle  of  the 
Brandywine — Its  Incidents — The  British  in  Philadelphia — Bold  Scheme 
of  Washington — He  attacks  the  British  at  Germantown — Battle  of  Ger- 
mantown — Its  Results 255 


CONTENTo. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

The  American  Camp  atWhHe  Marsh — Winter  Encampment  at  Valley  Forge 
— Spurious  Letters — Origin,  Development,  aud  Conclusion  of  the  Conway 
Cabal  —  The  Loyalty  of  Lafayette  —  The  Magnanimity  of  Washington- 
Reliance  of  the  General  on  the  God  of  Armies — An  Affecting  Incident.  274 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Bufferings  of -the  Army  at  Valley  Forge  —  Baron  Steuben  —  Treaty  with 
France  —  "Conciliatory  Bills"  of  Lord  North  —  Sir  William  Howe  suc- 
ceeded by  Sir  Henry  Clinton — Peace  Commissioners — Their  Reception 
and  Departure  —  The  British  evacuate  Philadelphia  —  Their  March 
through  the  Jerseys — Battle  of  Monmouth — Conduct  and  Court-Martial 
of  General  Lee — Arrival  of  the  Count  d'Estaing — Operations  of  the  Allies 
against  Newport — Irs  Failure,  and  the  Result — Campaign  of  1779 — The 
Massacre  of  Wyoming  avenged — Arrival  of  the  French  Fleet  under  Do 
Ternay,  and  Army  under  Count  de  Rochambeau 281 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

French  Fleet  blockaded — Interview  between  the  Commanders — Its  Result 
— Revolt  of  the  Pennsylvania  Line — Wise  Conduct  of  Wayne,  and  Plan 
of  Washington  with  the  Jersey  Line — Articles  of  Confederation — Battle 
of  the  Cowpens — Affair  of  M'Gowan's  Ford — Proclamation  of  Cornwallis 
— State  of  Greene's  Army — Retreat  of  Cornwallis — French  Fleet  in  the 
Chesapeake  —  Washington  at  Newport  —  Operations  of  Lafayette  —  The 
Enemy  at  Mount  Vernon  —  French  Auxiliaries  —  Attack  on  New  York 
abandoned — Robert  Morris — The  March  of  the  Allies  Southward — Siege 
of  Yorktown — Surrender  of  Cornwallis 298 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Washington  urges  Preparations  for  another  Campaign — Reasons — The  New- 
burg  Addresses,  and  Conclusion  of  the  Matter — Views  of  a  Peace  Esta- 
blishment, and  Circular  Letter  to  Governors  of  States — Peace  proclaimed 
— Washington's  Farewell  Address  to  the  Army — Affecting  Scene  in  Part- 
ing with  his  Officers — Resignation  of  his  Commission  and  Retirement  to 
Mount  Vernon — He  engages  in  Agricultural  Pursuits— Is.  chosen  First 
President  of  the  United  States — Adoption 'of  the  Constitution — Washing- 
ton's Duties,  and  his  Illness  —  He  recovers  —  His  Rules  respecting  Ap- 
pointments— The  Funded  Debt — The  National  Bank  established — Duty 
imposed  on  Liquors  Distilled  in  the  United  States 309 


Xll  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

Apportionment  Bill — Differences  in  the  Cabinet — Effects  of  the  French  Re- 
volution— Development  of  Parties — The  Citizen  Genet — His  Insolence — 
Western  Insurrection  quelled — Treaty  with  Great  Britain — The  Excite- 
ment it  produced — The  President  refuses  to  give  up  the  Papers  of  In- 
struction— His  Farewell  Address — Retirement  from  Office — Mount  Vernon 
— Danger  of  a  War  with  France — Washington  appointed  Commander-in- 
Chief — Pacification — Rural  Scenes — Last  Illness  and  Death  of  Washing- 
ton   332 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

Profound  Impression  produced  by  Washington's  Death  —  Estimate  of  his 
Character — His  Intellectual  Qualities — His  Military  Talents — His  Admin- 
istrative Abilities — His  Character  when  regarded  as  a  Whole — Proceedings 
in  Congress  in  Honor  of  his  Memory — Remarks  of  Mr.  Marshall — Reso- 
lutions —  Address  of  the  Senate  —  Reply  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States — Funeral  Services  at  Mount  Vernon 349 


APPENDIX. 

I. 

Washington's  Farewell  Address 363 

II. 
Statement  of  Mr.  David  C.  Claypoole 393 

III. 

Report  made  by  William  Rawle,  Esq.,  to  the  Historical  Society  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, December  16,  1825 398 

IV. 

Letter  from  Chief  Justice  Jay  to  Richard  Peters,  Esq.,  March  29th,  1811, 
Published  in  the  Memoirs  of  the  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania...  399 

V. 

Extract  from  the  "Writings  of  Washington"  —  President  Washington  to 
James  Madison,  May  20th,  1792  —  James  Madison  to  President  Wash- 
ington, June  20th,  1792  —  Mr.  Madison's  Draft  —  Hints,  or  Heads  of 
Topics 411 


GEORGE    WASHINGTON. 


CHAPTER  I. 

«NEALOGY  OF  THE  WASHINGTON  FAMILY — BIRTH   OF   GEORGE   WASH- 
INGTON— DEATH  OF  HIS  FATHER INFLUENCE  OF  HIS  MOTHER — HIS 

EDUCATION — HIS  EARLY  PROMISE  AND  YOUTHFUL  CHARACTERISTICS. 

WHEN  William  the  Conqueror  devastated  the  terri- 
tory of  England  north  of  the  Humber,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  punishing,  the  revolt  of  the  Northumbrians, 
the  estates  of  the  vanquished  became  the  spoils  of  his 
Norman  followers,  and  the  chief  dignities  in  Church 
and  State  were  conferred  upon  them.  Durham,  in 
which  the  bones  of  St.  Cuthbert  were  entombed  after 
their  removal  from  the  shrine  of  Holy  Island,  on  Lin- 
disfarue,  became  a  city  of  great  importance,  and  the 
see  enjoyed  privileges  of  an  extraordinary  character. 
The  bishop  appointed  by  the  conqueror  was  invested 
with  great  power,  as  being  more  subservient  to  the 
purpose  of  William  than  were  the  proud  and  turbu- 
lent nobles  of  the  period,  and  as  creating  a  bulwark 
against  the  inroads  of  the  Scots,  whose  incursions 
frequently  assailed  the  border.  The  Bishop  of  Dur- 
ham was  created  a  Count  Palatine,  the  see  was  erected 
into  a  palatinate,  and  temporal  and  spiritual  authority 
2  (IB) 


14  TUB    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

was  in  a  large  degree  conferred  upon  the  bishops  of 
this  diocese.  In  those  distant  times,  landed  property 
was  held  by  feudal  tenure  only;  and  abbots,  bishops, 
lords,  and  barons,  were  obliged  to  furnish  the  king 
with  military  service.  Whenever  occasion  rendered 
it  necessary,  and  the  banner  of  St.  Cuthbert  was  un- 
furled, the  feudatories  of  the  prelate  were  required  to 
take  the  field.  William  De  Hertburn,  whose  surname 
was  probably  derived  from  the  name  of  a  village  on 
the  banks  of  Tees,  called  Hartburn,  was  one  of  the 
knights  who  held  lands  in  the  Palatinate  of  Durham. 
The  first  mention  of  this  family  occurs  in  1183,  at 
which  period  history  declares  that  William  De  Hert- 
burn exchanged  Hertburn,  his  manor  and  village,  for 
those  of  Wessyngton,  and  the  family  thenceforth  took 
the  name  of  De  Wessyngton.  Mention  is  made  in 
1264  of  William  Weshington,  of  Weshington,  who 
assisted  his  sovereign  in  the  unfortunate  battle  of 
Lewes ;  and  in  the  reign  of  Edward  HI.,  the  name 
of  Sir  Stephen  De  Wessyngton  occurs  in  the  list  of 
gallant  knights  who  tried  their  skill  in  arms  in  the 
tournament  at  Dunstable.  Various  members  of  this 
family  were  distinguished  in  the  events  which  after- 
ward transpired,  and  in  many  scenes  of  glory  and 
chivalry  in  which  the  Douglasses  and  Percys  were 
conspicuous.  When  Henry  VIH.  confiscated  the 
monasteries,  he  conferred  on  Laurence  Washington, 
who  had  been  Mayor  of  Northampton,  the  manor  of 
Sulgrave  in  1538,  which,  with  other  lands,  had  be- 
longed to  the  monastery  of  St.  Andrews. 

In  1646  Sir  Henry  Washington,  a  colonel  in  the 
royal  army,  displayed  great  gallantry  in  the  defence 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  16 

of  Worcester;  and  manifested  a  spirit  of  chivalry 
and  heroic  resistance  which  has  transmitted  his  name 
with  renown  to  posterity.  The  Sulgrave  family  had 
ever  been  the  adherents  of  the  Stuart  dynasty.  Among 
the  emigrants  to  the  New  World  wlio  sought  to  escape 
the  vengeance  of  Cromwell,  which  was  excited  against 
those  who  had  attempted  a  general  revolt,  were  John 
and  Andrew  Washington,  great-grandsons  of  the 
grantee  of  Sulgrave,  who  landed  in  Virginia  in  1657. 
The  brothers  purchased  an  extensive  tract  of  land  in 
Westmoreland  County,  between  the  rivers  Potomac 
and  Rappahaunock.  Near  the  place  where  Bridges 
Creek  falls  into  the  Potomac,  John  took  up  his  abode, 
and  married  Miss  Anne  Pope.  He  became  an  exten- 
sive planter,  a  member  of  the  House  of  Burgesses, 
and  the  leader  of  the  Virginia  forces  against  the  Sen- 
eca Indians.  His  grandson  Augustine  was  born  in 
1694,  and  was  twice  married.  His  first  union  was  in 
1715  to  Jane  Butler,  of  Westmoreland  County, 
daughter  of  Caleb  Butler.  Four  children  were  the 
fruit  of  this  union,  two  of  whom  died  in  childhood. 
The  survivors  were  Laurence  and  Augustine  Wash- 
ington, whose  mother  died  in  November,  1728.  Au- 
gustine Washington  married,  in  1730,  a  beautiful 
young' lady  named  Mary  Ball.  She  bore  him  four 
eons  and  two  daughters.  The  younger  daughter, 
called  Mildred,  died  in  infancy;  the  other  was  named 
Elizabeth.  The  second  son  was  called  Samuel ;  his 
brothers  were  John  Augustine,  and  Charles ;  and  the 
eldest  of  the  four  was  one  whose  name  history  loves 
to  record,  and  which  nations  bless,  —  the  father  and 
founder  of  American  freedom. 


16  THBLIFEANDTIMBS 

GEORGE  WASHINGTON  was  born  on  Feb.  22d,  1732, 
on  Bridges  Creek,  the  old  homestead  of  the  family. 
His  father,  soon  after  his  birth,  removed  to  Stafford 
County.  The  house  in  which  he  resided  was  situated 
on  an  elevation ;  and  a  meadow  near  it,  bordering  on 
the  Rappahannock,  was  the  playground  of  the  boy 
who  was  destined  to  bear  such  a  conspicuous  part  in 
the  history  of  his  country. 

Virginia,  in  those  days,  did  not  possess  the  advan- 
tages, in  an  educational  point  of  view,  which  she 
afterward  attained.  The  facilities  for  instruction  were 
few,  and  the  capabilities  of  teachers  were  of  an  humble 
character.  To  complete  the  education  of  their  sons, 
the  rich  planters  usually  sent  them  to  England ;  and 
this  course  was  adopted  frequently,  in  different  parts 
of  the  land,  till  a  much  later  date.  "While  George 
was  yet  a  child,  Augustine  Washington  sent  his  eldest 
son  Laurence  to  England  to  puraue  his  studies,  con- 
sidering him,  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  as  the  head  of 
the  family. 

As  soon  as  George  was  old  enough,  he  was  sent  to 
the  best  school  which  the  neighborhood  afforded.  It 
formed  a  striking  contrast  to  the  schools  that  have 
since  grown  up  in  the  land;  for  it  was  of  very  little 
pretension,  and  presided  over  by  one  of  his  father's 
tenants,  whose  name  was  Hobby,  who,  to  the  dignity 
of  preceptor,  added  that  of  parish  sexton.  Eeading, 
writing,  arithemetic,  and  such  elementary  branches, 
were  doubtless  the  amount  of  what  young  Washing- 
ton was  then  taught.  At  the  same  time,  it  should 
be  remembered  that  he  reaped  the  advantages  of 
mental  and  moral  instruction  from  his  father  at  home ; 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  17 

and,  as  will   afterward   appear,  from  his   excellent 
mother. 

Laurence  returned  from  England  when  George 
was  seven  or  eight  years  of  age.  There  existed-  a 
very  strong  attachment  between  the  brothers.  Lau- 
rence viewed  George  as  a  remarkable  specimen  of 
rectitude  and  truth,  and  the  boy  won  his  affections 
and  a  claim  to  his  protection ;  while,  on  the  other 
hand,  George  looked  up  to  his  brother,  with  his  manly 
and  cultivated  mind,  as  a  fit  model  for  imitation,  and 
thus,  at  an  early  age,  these  sentiments  of  affection 
and  admiration  impressed  their  influence  on  his 
future  sentiments. 

The  military  ardor  of  his  ancestors  had  an  effect 
on  the  mind  of  Laurence  Washington,  and  he  grati- 
fied his  military  taste  by  joining  the  expedition  of 
Admiral  Vernon,  commander-in-chief  in  the  West 
Indies ;  for  which  he  embarked  in  1740,  in  his  twenty- 
second  year.  He  received  a  captain's  commission, 
and  served  with  honor  under  Admiral  Vernon  and 
General  Wentworth,  in' their  joint  expedition.  He 
was  present  at  the  ineffectual  attack  on  Carthagena ; 
was  distinguished  there  by  his  bravery ;  and  was  one 
of  those  who  unflinchingly  bore  the  enemy's  fire, 
while  his  party  retired  with  a  loss  of  six  hundred 
killed  and  wounded.  This  event  gave  his  brother 
such  a  bias  toward  a  military  life,  that  his  very  re- 
creations were  afterward  of  a  martial  character.  His 
playmates  he  turned  into  soldiers,  and  with  reviews, 
parades,  and  sham-fights,  he  thus  became,  at  a  tender 
age,  a  commander  and  a  hero. 

George  Washington,  at  the  age  of  eleven,  was  left 
2*  B 


18  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

after  his  father's  death  in  1743,  with  the  other  child- 
ren  of  the  second  marriage,  under  the  guardianship 
of  his  mother,  whose  good  sense,  conscientiousness, 
and  excellent  qualities,  exacted  deference  while  in- 
spiring affection,  formed  the  mind  and  stamped  in- 
delibly the  moral  character  of  her  son.  Both  by 
precept  and  by  example  she  inculcated  the  lessons  by 
which  a  warm  temper,  inherited  from  herself,  was 
governed  and  directed ;  and  by  her  the  principles  of 
his  future  conduct  were  founded  on  the  most  rigid 
justice  and  equity.  It  was  her  wont  to  call  her  child- 
ren around  her,  and  read  from  some  favorite  work 
of  morality  and  religion.  Then  flowed  from  her 
lips  the  instructions  which  guided  the  future  man, 
and  which  will  affect  the  race  for  good  till  the  latest 
posterity.  Those  who  desire  to  know  the  basis  of 
the  moral  character  of  "Washington,  will  discover  it 
by  perusing  Sir  Matthew  Kale's  "  Contemplations, 
Moral  and  Divine,"  the  favorite  manual  of  his  mother; 
in  which  volume  her  name  was  written  with  her  own 
hand,  preserved  by  her  son  with  religious  care,  and 
still  deposited  in  the  archives  of  Mount  Vernon. 
Mary  Washington  inculcated  those  principles,  and 
inspired  those  sentiments,  by  which  her  son  was  guided 
throughout  life ;  which  rendered  him  one  of  the  best, 
as  well  as  one  of  the  greatest,  of  men. 

Washington's  father  being  deceased,  and  Hobby's 
course  of  learning  no  longer  suited  to  his  wants, 
George  was  sent  to  the  school  of  Mr.  Williams,  at 
Bridges  Creek,  and  resided  with  Augustine.  His 
own  purpose,  and  the  object  of  his  friends,  were,  to  tit 
him  for  ordinary  business  life ;  he  never  made  any 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  19 

attempt  to  acquire  a  knowledge  of  the  classics ;  nor 
does  he  seem  to  have  had  any  inclination  for  such 
studies  as  the  learned  languages,  rhetoric,  or  the 
belles  lettres ;  though,  at  a  more  recent  period,  he 
gave  some  attention  to  the  French.  His  education 
was  plain  and  eminently  practical ;  and  his  manu- 
script school  books  which  are  yet  preserved,  display 
great  neatness  and  correctness.  In  a  book  of  arith- 
metic still  remaining  at  Mount  Vernon,  is  an  attempt 
to  portray  forms  and  faces,  probably  those  of  his 
school-mates;  but  in  other  respects  it  presents  a  busi- 
ness-like appearance.  One  thing  of  infinite  service  to 
him  in  after-life,  both  in  the  management  of  his  estate 
and  at  the  head  of  armies,  was  his  practical  and 
lawyer-like  acquaintance  with  business  forms.  All 
sorts  of  mercantile  and  legal  papers,  bills  of  exchange, 
bonds,  notes  of  hand,  and  deeds,  gave  him  skill  in 
keeping  accounts ;  and  monuments  of  his  diligence 
are  yet  to  be  seen  in  financial  affairs  posted  up  in 
books,  with  his  own  hand,  and  relating  to  all  the 
transactions  of  his  property,  dealings  with  persons 
at  home  or  abroad,  and  accounts  with  Government. 
He  had  the  good  sense  to  appreciate  physical  edu- 
cation, which,  by  means  of  the  athletic  exercises  of 
running,  wrestling,  pitching  bars  and  quoits,  exerts 
more  influence  on  the  mind  than  is  generally  sup- 
posed, and  tends  greatly  to  produce  the  mens  sana  in 
sano  corpore.  In  these  exercises  Washington  took  the 
lead  among  his  young  associates ;  and  the  muscles  of 
his  large  and  powerful  frame  had  attained  such  de- 
velopment, at  this  early  period,  that  tradition  points 
out  the  place  where,  when  still  a  boy,  he  cast  a  stone 


20  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

across  the  Rappahannock ;  and  anecdotes  yet  attest 
his  achievements  as  a  horseman,  in  which  he  excelled, 
so  as  to  he  able  to  mount  and  manage  the  most  ungov- 
ernable steed.  These  accomplishments,  and  the  rigid 
principles  of  justice  and  impartial  probity  on  which 
his  conduct  was  regulated,  in  the  most  minute  par- 
ticulars, rendered  him  an  umpire  among  his  young 
associates,  from  whose  decisions  there  was  no  appeal; 
and  the  type  of  the  future  man  was  visible  in  the  fact 
that,  as  he  wras  their  chosen  military  chief  at  an  ear- 
lier age,  he  had  now  became  their  young  legislator. 
One  thing  in  particular,  at  every  period  of  his  career, 
prominently  characterized  him ;  and  that  was  his 
reverence  for  the  Supreme  Being,  the  acknowledg- 
ment of  his  control  of  human  affairs,  and  of  the  su- 
perintending Providence  that  directs  all  sublunary 
ftventa. 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON. 


CHAPTER  II. 

LAURENCE  WASHINGTON  —  THE  FAIRFAX  FAMILY  —  GEORGE  WASHING- 
TON'S DESIRE  FOR  A  MILITARY  LIFE — HIS  MOTHER  WITHDRAWS  HER 
CONSENT  TO  HIS  ENTERING  THE  NAVY — RETURN  TO  SCHOOL,  AND 
APPLICATION  TO  MATHEMATICS — HIS  PROFICIENCY  IN  SURVEYING- 
FALLS  IN  LOVE,  AND  GROWS  MELANCHOLY  —  HIS  ASSOCIATION  WITH 
THE  FAIRFAX  FAMILY,  AND  ITS  BENEFICIAL  EFFECTS  —  HUNTING 
COMPLETES  THE  CURE — HIS  SURVEY  OF  LORD  FAIRFAX'S  DOMAINS — • 
HIS  APPOINTMENT  AS  PUBLIC  SURVEYOR THE  PERILS  OF  THE  WIL- 
DERNESS  THE  BRACING  EFFECTS  OF  HIS  DUTIES,  PHYSICALLY  AND 

MENTALLY  —  GREENWAY  COURT  —  INFLUENCE   OF   HARDY  TOIL   AND 
GOOD  SOCIETY  COMBINED. 

THE  affection  of  Laurence  Washington  for  his 
brother  was  greatly  augmented  after  the  death  of  their 
father.  Laurence  had  now  become  an  important 
man  in  Virginia,  a  member  of  the  House  of  Bur- 
g.esses,  and  adjutant-general  of  the  district.  Through 
him,  George  became  intimate  with  the  family  of 
William  Fairfax,  whose  princely  seat  of  Belvoir 
was  situated  near  Mount  Vernon,  on  the  Potomac. 
William  Fairfax  was  a  liberally  educated  man  of  the 
world,  and  combined  experience  with  abstract  learn- 
ing, having  served  with  honor  both  in.  the  East  and 
West  Indies,  and  aided  in  freeing  New  Providence, 
of  which  he  was  governor,  from  pirates.  He  had 
charge  of  the  Virginia  estates  of  his  cousin,  Lord 
Fairfax,  during  some  years,  and  Belvoir  was  the 
place  of  his  residence.  Here,  in  the  management  ol 


22  THELIFEANDTIMES 

the  large  interests  of  Lord  Fairfax,  he  lived  in  con- 
siderable style ;  and  a  family  of  sons  and  daughters 
of  refined  tastes  and  cultivated  minds,  rendered  his 
residence  yet  more  delightful.  Intimacy  with  a  family 
like  this,  who  combined  the  refinement  of  European 
with  the  rural  simplicity  of  colonial  life,  was  of  the 
utmost  service  to  George  Washington  at  this  period; 
and  to  his  pleasant  intercourse  with  them,  is  due,  in 
a  great  measure,  that  polish  and  perfect  good-breed- 
ing which  formed  one  of  his  prominent  characteris- 
tics. A  manuscript  still  remains,  in  his  hand-writing, 
which  evinces  the  desire  generated  in  his  mind  at 
this  period,  to  behave  with  propriety  in  their  society; 
and  shows  clearly  the  superior  degree  of  self-control 
to  which  he  rendered  himself  subject.  The  code  in 
question  was  called  "rules  for  behavior  in  company 
and  conversation ;"  and  though  containing  somethings 
of  a  trivial  nature,  is,  on  the  whole,  such  as  any  youth 
might  use  and  imitate  with  profit. 

During  the  visits  of  George  at  Mount  Yernon,  the 
desire  for  a  military  life  was  enkindled  in  his  mind 
by  various  circumstances ;  among  which  were  his 
intercourse  with  his  brother,  who  was  then  adjutant- 
general,  and  retained  pleasing  reminiscences  of  his 
old  cruises,  and  the  society  of  William  Fairfax,  a  sol- 
dier who  had  witnessed  many  scenes  of  trial.  Some 
of  the  companions-in-arms  of  Laurence  were  visitors 
at  Mount  Vernon,  and  their  conversation  frequently 
turned  on  military  matters  by  sea  and  land.  Occa- 
sionally, too,  one  of  Vernon's  old  ships  anchored  in 
the  Potomac ;  and  all  these  circumstances  combined 
together  made  George  desirous  of  entering  the  navy, 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  23 

to  which  he  was  encouraged  by  his  brother  and  Mr. 
Fairfax.  '  The  navy  then  seemed  the  surest  path  of 
fame ;  but  the  difficulty  was  with  Mrs.  Washington. 
Her  reluctant  consent  was  at  length  obtained;  a  mid- 
shipman's warrant  was  procured,  and  George  was 
about  to  enter  the  service  at  the  age  of  fourteen.  It 
is  said  his  luggage  was  alread}^  on  board  a  man-of-war 
then  at  anchor  below  Mount  Yernon;  but  his  mother's 
heart  at  last  failed  her,  and,  resolute  as  was  her.mind, 
she  could  not  give  up  her  son,  the  probable  support 
of  herself  and  the  other  children,  to  the  perils  of  a 
seafaring  life.  Thus  the  scheme  was  abandoned. 
Instead  of  the  sea,  George  returned  to  school,  and 
during  two  years  more  applied  himself  to  the  study 
of  mathematics,  in  those  departments  which  are  use- 
ful in  a  civil  or  military  career.  Land  surveying  was 
a  branch  in  which  he  became  an  adept,  and  for  which, 
by  the  most  rigid  application,  he  qualified  himself  in 
the  highest  degree.  He  kept  regular  field-books ; 
surveyed  the  neighborhood;  made  accurate  diagrams, 
and  entered  with  the  greatest  precision  the  measure- 
ment of  boundaries.  He  did  everything  in  the  most 
masterly  manner;  and  he  formed  those  habits  of 
mind  by  which  he  was  prepared  for  every  emergency, 
and  which  rendered  him  equal  to  the  most  compli- 
cated difficulties  and  perilous  undertakings.  Amid 
documents  which  evince  such  close  and  rigid  applica 
tion,  one  in  his  own  hand-writing  was  afterward 
found,  which  shows  that  at  the  age  of  fifteen  he  was 
not  proof  against  the  arrows  of  Cupid,  but  actually 
became  smitten  with  the  charms  of  some  unknown 
beauty.  This  circumstance  rendered  him  unhappy, 


24  THELIFEANDTIMES 

perhaps  for  the  reason  that  he  was  toe  diffident  to 
push  his  suit  —  a  characteristic  which  he  displayed  in 
later  years  in  female  society.  An  old  lady  whom  he 
used  to  visit  when  they  were  both  young,  said :  "He 
was  a  bashful  young  man  ;  I  used  often  to  wish  he 
would  talk  more."  Washington  left  school  in  the 
autumn  of  1747,  and  went  to  Mount  Vernon,  where 
the  image  of  the  fair  one  still  followed  him ;  and,  in 
his  mathematical  studies  and  surveying  exercises,  his 
spirits  were  yet  affected  with  tender  recollections. 
His  sorrows  were  at  last  poured  forth  in  verse,  in 
which  he  mournfully  speaks  of  his  "poor  restless 
heart,  wounded  by  Cupid's  dart." 

Washington  was  a  favorite  of  William  Fairfax, 
the  cousin  of  Lord  Thomas  Fairfax,  for  whose  estates 
he  was  agent.  This  nobleman  was  a  great  friend  of 
George,  and,  in  a  measure,  the  founder  of  his  future 
fortunes.  At  this  period  he  was  sixty  years  of  age, 
had  been  educated  at  the  University  of  Oxford,  and 
was  there  distinguished.  He  had  made  a  figure  in 
London  society;  had  held  a  commission  in  the  Blues; 
and  had  gained  additional  credit  to  his  connections  and 
title  by  contributing  some  papers  to  Addison's  Spec- 
tator. He  then  launched  into  fashionable  life;  loved 
a  beautiful  young  lady,  who  accepted  his  addresses; 
and,  after  purchasing  her  wedding  dresses,  broke  her 
engagement  and  married  a  duke.  Lord  Fairfax,  stung 
with  mortified  pride  and  wounded  affection,  avoided 
the  sex  ever  afterward,  except  such  as  were  con- 
nected with  him  ;  and  visited  his  estates  in  Virginia  in 
1739.  These  had  descended  to  him  from  his  mother, 
daughter  of  Thomas,  Lord  Culpepper,  who  obtained 


OF    UKOKQE    WASHINGTON.  25 

a  grant  ot'  them  from  Uharles  IL,  which  included  the 
lands  between  the  .Happahannock  and  Potomac  rivers. 
Finding  the  Potomac  had  its  source  in  the  Allegheny 
Mountains,  his  lordship  claimed  a  commensurate  en- 
largement of  his  grant;  and  matters  being  compro- 
mised, his  domains  extended  into  the  Allegheny 
Mountains,  and  included  a  large  portion  of  the  Shen- 
andoah  Valley.  The  mildness  of  the  climate  and  the 
noble  forest  scenery,  the  abundance  of  the  game,  and 
the  frank  cordiality  of  the  Virginians,  won  upon  Lord 
Fairfax,  who  made  his  abode  with  them  ;  and,  though 
eccentric,  he  was  amiable  in  character  and  generous  in 
temper.  George  "William  Fairfax,  son  of  his  lordship, 
educated  in  England,  and  afterward  married  to  a 
daughter  of  Colonel  Carey,  on  James  River,  was  now, 
in  his  twenty-second  year,  on  a  visit  to  Belvoir,  with 
his  bride  and  her  sister. 

In  such  a  scene  Washington  felt  that  female  society 
produced  a  soothing  effect  upon  his  melancholy;  and 
the  charms  of  Miss  Carey  made  an  impression  on  hia 
heart,  which  yet  preserved  the  traces  of  his  original 
passion  for  the  "  lowland  beauty."  He  was  then,  at 
the  age  of  sixteen,  tall,  athletic,  and  well  calculated 
to  inspire  regard ;  and  all  this  was  enhanced  by  the 
soft  melancholy  depicted  in  his  countenance.  The 
confession  made  by  him  at  the  time  to  several  confi- 
dants, prove  that  the  sorrow  arid  gloom  of  his  former 
passion  had  been  almost  charmed  away  by  the  graces 
of  the  sister-in-law  of  Fairfax.  The  object  of  his 
tirst  love  is  not  certainly  known.  She  is  said  to  have 
been  a  Miss  Grimes,  of  Westmoreland  County,  after- 
wards Mrs.  Lee,  mother  of  General  Henry  Lee,  who 
3 


26  THE    LIFE     AND    TTMKS 

became  a  favorite  of  "Washington,  as  is  supposed, 
from  the  tenderness  once  entertained  for  his  mother. 
That  which  chiefly  contributed  to  heal  the  wounds 
of  disappointed  affection  in  the  breast  of  Washing- 
ton, was  the  fox-hunting  Lord  Fairfax;  whose  society 
and  influence,  resulting  from  his  having  chosen  him 
as  the  companion  of  his  hunting  excursions,  gradu- 
ally engrossed  his  attention  and  divided  his  thoughts. 
He  took  Washington  into  special  favor.  They  rode 
together ;  and,  under  the  tuition  of  his  lordship,  the 
youth  acquired  that  zest  for  the  chase  for  which  he 
afterward  became  remarkable.  His  lordship  had  a 
fine  stud  of  horses,  and  excellent  hounds.  An  im- 
portant result  of  the  fox-hunting  was  the  discovery 
by  his  lordship  of  the  excellent  qualities  of  Washing- 
ton, his  courage  and  capacity  for  enduring  fatigue,  as 
well  as  the  modest  self-restraint  by  which  he  was 
characterized.  He  had  seen  the  accuracy  and  neat- 
ness with  which  his  surveys  were  executed  at  Mount 
Vernon.  Lord  Fairfax  now  required  a  surveyor  of  his 
domains  beyond  the  Blue  Ridge,  which  squatters  had 
taken  possession  of,  and  of  which  a  regular  survey  had 
never  been  made.  It  was  his  earnest  desire  to  have 
these  lands  examined,  and  apportioned  into  lots  by  a 
systematic  measurement,  in  order  to  effect  the  eject- 
ment of  the  squatters,  or  reduce  them  to  terms  of 
moderation.  He  made,  therefore,  an  offer  to  Wash- 
ington to  undertake  this  important  task,  and  the  pro- 
posal was  accepted.  It  was  just  what  he  desired;  and 
after  a  few  simple  preparations  were  made,  a  short 
time  was  sufficient  to  fit  the  active  youth  for  his  first 
expedition  amid  the  perils  of  the  wilderness. 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  2? 

While  the  rigors  of  winter  still  prevailed  in  the 
mountains,  and  the  lower  parts  of  the  landscape  were 
becoming  enlivened  by  the  milder  influence  of  spring, 
in  the  month  of  March,  1748,  having  completed  his 
sixteenth  year,  "Washington,  accompanied  by  George 
William  Fairfax,  set  out  on  his  expedition.  Their 
road  lay  by  Ashley's  Gap,  a  path  through  the  Blue 
Ridge.  At  a  place  where  it  is  about  twenty-five  miles 
wide,  they  entered  the  valley  of  the  Shenandoah, 
bounded  on  the  one  side  by  the  Blue  Ridge,  and  on 
the  other  by  the  North  Mountain,  a  branch  of  the 
Alleghenies.  A  beautiful  and  copious  river,  bearing 
the  same  name  as  the  valley,  flows  through  it,  appro- 
priately called  by  the  Indians  "  the  daughter  of  the 
stars."  The  travellers  first  halted  at  what  Washing- 
ton calls  his  "lordship's  quarters,"  a  lodge  in  the  wil- 
derness, near  the  present  town  of  Winchester,  and  in 
a  region  of  great  beauty,  crowned  with  stately  trees 
and  a  noble  maple  grove,  on  the  banks  of  the  Shen- 
andoah. He  viewed  the  spot  not  with  a  poetical,  hut 
a  business  eye ;  the  realities  of  life  had  started  up  in 
his  path,  and  romance  had  forever  vanished. 

Washington  describes  in. his  journal  the  qualities  of 
the  soil,  and  makes  a  faithful  record  of  the  different  lo- 
calities as  presented  to  his  view,  and  their  relative  value. 
The  habits  of  observation  which  he  had  so  sedulously 
cultivated  were  now  of  the  utmost  importance  to  him, 
and  he  had  become  an  adept  in  his  art.  Where  the 
town  of  Winchester  now  stands,  they  lodged  for  a 
night.  Civilization  had  scarcely  reached  this  place 
at  that  early  day.  The  company  lay  before  the  fire 
after  supper,  but  Washington  was  shown  to  a  bed- 


28  THELIFEANDTIMES 

room.  Having  retired,  he  soon  missed  the  clean 
sheets  of  Mount  Vernon ;  and  on  a  straw-matted 
couch  he  was  so  annoyed  by  insects  beneath  the 
threadbare  blanket,  that  he  was  glad  to  dress  again, 
and  join  the  company  at  the  fire.  The  survey  began 
near  the  confluence  of  the  Shenandoah  with  the  Po- 
tomac, and  was  continued  for  a  distance  along  the 
banks  of  the  former,  where  the  hand  of  industry  had 
made  some  clearings,  and  had  produced  crops  of 
grain,  hemp,  and  tobacco.  The  Potomac  was  then 
swollen  with  rains,  and  could  not  be  passed.  Having 
to  remain  a  few  days  until  the  waters  should  subside, 
they  meanwhile  made  a  visit  to  a  mountain  spring, 
since  known  as  "  Sulphur  Springs."  The  location  of 
their  star-lit  camp  was  what  is  now  called  Bath,  one 
of  the  favorite  watering-places  of  Virginia.  Lord 
Fairfax,  at  a  later  date,  used  the  waters  of  one  of 
these,  which  still  goes  by  his  name.  Soon  afterward 
they  crossed  the  river,  in  a  canoe,  to  the  Maryland 
side,  their  horses  swimming  over;  and  after  a  ride 
of  forty  miles  over  an  execrable  path,  they  halted  at 
the  house  of  Colonel  Cresap,  and  remained  for  the 
night.  Inclement  weather  yet  detained  them.  A 
party  of  thirty  Indians,  carrying  a  scalp,  appeared. 
They  had  a  war-dance  ;  a  fire  was  made  in  a  space  in 
the  centre .  of  the  circle ;  an  orator  delivered  an  ex- 
citing speech,  and  several  Indian  scenes  were  acted 
amid  yells,  whoops,  and  grotesque  grimaces.  Wash- 
ington made  notes  of  this  strange  exhibition,  and  his 
keen  observation  enabled  him  to  form  a  just  estimate 
of  savage  character,  which  rendered  him  capable  of 
dealing  with  the  wild  natives  of  the  forest.  The  next 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  29 

encampment  was  made  after  recrossing  the  river,  at 
the  mouth  of  Patterson's  Creek,  which  was  effected 
as  before.  They  had  now  spent  two  weeks  in  Frede- 
rick County,  in  the  wild  mountains  on  the  south  of 
the  Potomac,  where  lands  were  surveyed  and  laid 
out,  and  wild  turkeys  and  game  furnished  their  whole 
subsistence.  The  wind  blew  down  their  tent  at  one 
time;  the  smoke  expelled  them  from  it  at  another; 
and  while  each  one  was  his  own  cook,  and  their 
dishes  were  of  the  most  primitive  description,  they 
were  often  drenched  with  rain ;  and  a  companion 
once  saved  Washington  from  the  fire  which  was  burn 
ing  the  straw  on  which  he  was  reposing. 

As  the  survey  progressed,  many  squatters  were 
anxious  to  obtain  a  cheap  title  to  the  land  upon  which 
they  had  settled.  Many  Germans  who  had  emi- 
grated thither  with  "their  wives  and  families,  and 
could  not  understand  English,  followed  them ;  and 
at  the  house  of  Solomon  Hodge,  a  justice  of  the 
peace,  they  had  an  amusing  diversion  from  the  camp 
life  to  which  they  had  become  accustomed.  At  his 
table  they  had  only  such  knives  as  the  guests  brought 
with  them.  "Washington  describes  himself  as  having 
been  out  all  day,  and  laying  on  the  straw  or  a  bear- 
skin before  the  fire,  "  with  man,  wife,  and  children, 
like  dogs  and  cats;  and  happy  is  he  who  gets  the 
berth  nearest  the  fire." 

The  survey  being  completed,  he  returned  to  Mount 
Vernon  on  the  12th  of  April,  from  the  southern 
branch  of  the  Potomac,  crossed  the  mountains,  the 
Shenandoah  Valley,  and  the  Blue  Ridge,  and  received 
for  his  services,  when  actively  employed,  a  doubloon 
3* 


30  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

a  day.  Lord  Fairfax  was  well  satisfied  with  the  man- 
ner in  which  Washington  executed  this  important 
undertaking;  and  soon  afterward  laid  out  a  manor  of 
ten  thousand  acres  in  the  spot  on  the  other  side  of 
the  Blue  Ridge,  called  his  "quarters."  This  place, 
which  he  named  Greenway  Court,  included  within 
its  limits  arable  land,  noble  forests,  and  fertile 
meadows. 

It  is  probable  that  the  influence  of  Lord  Fairfax 
obtained  for  Washington  the  post  of  public  sur- 
veyor, which  gave  his  labors  superior  authority,  so 
as  to  entitle  them  to  be  recorded  in  the  county -offices. 
This  occupation  was  lucrative,  for  at  that  time  the 
number  of  public  surveyors  was  very  few ;  and  the 
knowledge  acquired  in  this  occupation  for  a  term  of 
three  years,  enabled  Washington  to  make  advanta- 
geous purchases  in  future. 

During  his  employment  as  public  surveyor,  Wash- 
ington was  a  frequent  guest  at  Greenway  Court. 
The  projected  manor  never  was  erected;  but  a  one- 
storied  building,  with  dormer  windows,  two  wooden 
belfries,  and  a  sloping  roof  in  the  antique  Virginia 
fashion,  with  a  verandah  which  "extended  the  whole 
length  of  the  house,  was  constructed  on  a  green  knoll 
embowered  in  trees.  The  noble  proprietor  never 
slept  in  the  main  building,  but  in  a  wooden  house 
about  twelve  feet  square.  In  a  small  structure  he 
had  his  offices,  and  there  all  his  business  was  trans- 
acted. A  long  train  of  black  and  white  servants, 
stables  for  horses,  and  kennels  for  hounds,  and  a 
plentiful  table  in  the  English  style,  proclaimed  the 
opulence  of  the  owner;  while  a  crowd  of  Indians, 


OF    GEOKGE    WASHINGTON.  3l 

half-breeds,  and  loiterers,  who  freely  partook  of  the 
good  things  the  kitchen  afforded,  was  an  excellent 
comment  on  the  hospitality  and  abundance  of  Lord 
Fairfax's  establishment. 

Greenway  Court  has  fallen  to  decay,  and  in  a  mag- 
nificent county  of  great  beauty,  it  is  crumbling  to  the 
earth ;  but  in  those  days  Washington  perused  in  its 
library  the  "History  of  England"  and  the  pages  of 
"  The  Spectator."  His  expanding  mind  reaped  instruc- 
tion from  the  man  of  literary  talents  and  cultivated 
tastes,  while  his  fondness  for  the  chase  was  gratified, 
in  the  proper  seasons,  with  his  congenial  friend  and 
patron,  Lord  Fairfax.  Washington  had  now  spent 
three  or  four  years  beyond  the  Blue  Ridge,  occasion- 
ally visiting  his  brother  at  Mount  Vernon.  The  (oil 
and  privations  to  which  he  had  been  exposed,  his  ex- 
peditions amid  the  rude  inhabitants  of  the  wilderness, 
and  his  occasional  intercourse  with  his  brother  and 
the  Fairfax  family,  had  the  effect  of  accustoming  his 
mind  to  endurance,  and  softening  his  manners  to 
courtliness,  by  which  he  attained  the  rare  faculty  of 
blending  together  the  graceful  suavity  of  the  gentle- 
man, with  the  martial  powers  of  a  hero. 


32  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 


CHAPTER   III. 

FRENCH  AND  ENGLISH  DISPUTES  RESPECTING  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE 
OHIO GROUNDS  OF  THEIR  SEVERAL  CLAIMS  —  THE  OHIO  COM- 
PANY  LAURENCE  WASHINGTON  —  HIS  LIBERAL  POLICY  —  FRENCH 

COMPETITION DE    BIENVILLE HIS     PLANS  —  CHRISTOPHER    GIST, 

THE  PIONEER HIS  EXPEDITION  TO  THE  FRONTIER,  AND  OPERA- 
TIONS WITH  THE  INDIAN  TRIBES HIS  NEGOTIATIONS,  AND  THEIR 

SUCCESS —  HIS  RETURN — THE  ATTEMPT  OF  IONCAIRE — HIS  ILL 
SUCCESS  AT  LOG-TOWN,  AND  LETTER  TO  THE  GOVERNOR  OF  PENN- 
SYLVANIA —  THE  INDIAN  TERRITORIES. 

WHILE  Washington  was  surveying  in  the  wilder- 
ness, and  acquiring  mental  strength  and  ampler  ex- 
perience, those  events  were  in  course  of  preparation 
which  exerted  a  powerful  influence  on  his  subsequent 
destiny ;  and  the  secret  counsels  were  elaborated  in 
the  workshops  of  diplomacy,  which  ultimately  pro- 
duced important  results.  To  understand  this  asser- 
tion, it  is  necessary  to  remember  that  the  peace  of 
Aix-la-Chapelle,  by  which  the  general  war  in  Europe 
was  terminated,  left  the  boundaries  between  the 
British  and  French  possessions  in  America  unde- 
fined ;  and,  as  a  natural  consequence,  both  nations 
laid  claim  to  the  same  immense  tracts  of  territory, 
and  each  hastened  to  anticipate  the  other  in  obtain- 
ing possession  of  them. 

The  Ohio  Valley,  west  of  the  Allegheny  Mountains, 
was  remarkable  for  its  fertility,  its  fine  hunting  and 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  33 

fishing  grounds,  its  healthful  climate,  and  its  great' 
resources  and  facilities  for  inland  commerce;  and  it 
became  the  chief  bone  of  contention.     The  French 
claimed  that  they  had  a  right  to  the  territory  in  con- 
sequence of  its  discovery  by  Padre  Marquette  and  his 
comrade,  Joliet  of  Quebec,  in  1673;  these  persons 
having  sailed  down  the  Mississippi  as  far  as  Arkan- 
sas ;  and  arrogating  for  their  sovereign  not  only  the 
river,  but  the  lands  lying  adjacent  and  its  tributary 
streams.     The  English  claimed  the  disputed  territory 
by  virtue  of  an  Indian  conquest,  by  which  the  Iro- 
quois  or  Six  Nations  held  the  lands  conquered  by 
their  ancestors ;  which  lands,  for  a  consideration  of 
four  hundred  pounds,  they  afterward  sold,  by  a  bar- 
gain made  at  Lancaster  in  1744,  between  Commis- 
sioners from  Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  and  Virginia, 
and  their  own  chiefs.     This  purchase  included  all 
their  right  and  title  from  the  west  of  the  Allegheny 
to  the  Mississippi  River.     The  truth  was,  that  the  In- 
dians who  made  this  treaty  were  neither  in  possession 
of  the  ceded  territory  at  the  time,  nor  were  they  sober 
when  they  made  the  alleged  transfer.     For  these  rea- 
sons   France    and   England   eventually  commenced 
hostilities ;  and  a  contest  was  begun  by  which  France 
lost  all  her  American  possessions,  and  England  the 
greater  part  of  them. 

At  this  period  the  inhabitants  of  the  colony  of 
Pennsylvania  held  a  monopoly  of  the  trade  with  the 
western  Indian  races,  exchanging  peltry,  trinkets, 
powder,  shot,  rum,  and  blankets,  for  valuable  furs. 
No  white  settlement  as  yet  existed  there,  and  the 
French  had  but  a  nominal  authority  over  tribes  of 

c 


34  THE     LIFE     AND     TIMES 

/ 

mixed  Iroquois,  Delawares,  Shawnees,  and  Mingoes, 
who  had  migrated  from  Canada  at  the  beginning  of 
the  century,  and  had  taken  up  their  residence  on  the 
Ohio  River  and  its  tributaries. 

Laurence  Washington  and  his  brother  Augustine 
were  among  the   influential  Virginians  who  desired 
to  gain  a  footing  in  this  rich  region,  and  a  share  iu 
the  trade  carried  on  therein.     A  scheme  was  set  on 
foot  to  procure,  through  John  Hanbury,  a  rich  Lon- 
don merchant,  permission  from  the  British  Govern- 
ment to  establish  colonies  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Allcghenies.     This  met  with  favor,  as  forming  a  bar- 
rier to  French   encroachments,  and  to  their  antici- 
pated possession  of  the  valley  of  the  Ohio.     A  char- 
tered  association    under  the    name   of    "The   Ohio 
Company,"  was  established  in  1749;  and  it  received 
a  grant  of  five  hundred  thousand  acres  of  land,  west 
of  the  Alleghenies,  between  the  rivers  Monongahela 
and  Kanawha,  with  power  to  take  up  land  north  of 
the  Ohio,  if  deemed  necessary.     No  rent  was  required 
from  them  for  ten  years ;  but  two-fifths  of  the  lands 
were  to  be  selected  immediately,  on  which,  within 
seven  years,  one  hundred  families  were  to  be  settled. 
A  fort  was  also  to  be  erected  against  the  Indians,  and 
garrisoned  at  their  own  expense.     The  concerns  of 
the  company  were  first  managed  by  Mr.  Thomas  Lee, 
President  of  the  Council  of  Virginia,  and  after  hia 
death,  by  Laurence  Washington.     Enlightened  and 
liberal  as  he  was,  he  desired  to  settle  this  tract  with 
Germans  from  Pennsylvania,  and  to  exempt  them 
from  the  taxes  and  parish  rates  which  they  would 
have  been  required  to  pay  on  coming  under  the  juris- 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  35 

diction  of  Virginia.     His  views  of  the  prevalent  re- 
straints on  conscience  he  regarded  as  unjust,  and  he 
thought  those  communities  in  which  a  narrow  policy 
prevailed,  flourished  but  slowly ;  while  those  which 
were  more  liberal  in  their  religious  views,  increased  with 
greater  rapidity.  The  colonization  scheme  progressed ; 
goods  and  presents  from  England,  adapted  to  the  In- 
dian trade,  were  imported ;  and  rewards  were  promised 
to  veteran  warriors  and  hunters  who  knew  the  path- 
less woods,  for  revealing  the  best  route  to  Ohio.     The 
French  were  in  the  field  before  the  company  was  char- 
tered.    The  Governor  of  Canada,  in  1749,  sent  Cele 
ron  de  Bienville,  an  able  ofiicer,  with  three  hundred 
men,  to  establish  relations  with  the  tribes  resident  on 
the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  and  to  regain  the  possession 
of  the  country  for  the  French.     De  Bienville  made  a 
judicious  distribution  of  presents,  and  used  his  ut- 
most exertions  to  prevent  them  from  trading  with  the 
English.     He  nailed  leaden  plates  to  the  trees,  and 
at  the  junction  of  the  Ohio  with  its  tributaries  buried 
others  in  the  ground,  indicating  that  the  lands  on 
both  sides,  as  far  as  their  sources  extended,  belonged 
to  France.    The  Indians  saw  these  plates,  and  divined 
their  purport ;  and,  as  a  consequence,  sought  British 
protection.     Celeron  ordered  some  Pennsylvania  tra- 
ders whom  he  found  trafficking  with  the  English,  to 
depart;  at  the  same  time  writing  by  them  to  the 
Governor  of  Pennsylvania,  James  Hamilton,  inform- 
ing him  of  his  mission  to  the  Ohio,  and  expressing 
surprise  at  meeting  with  English  traders  where  Eng- 
land possessed  no  rights,  threatening  to  deal  with 
rigor  in  case  they  should  repeat  the  act  in  future, 


36  THELIFEANDTIMES 

These  threats  attracted  the  attention  of  the  governor 
and  his  council  to  the  protection  of  their  trade ;  and 
Hugh  Crawford  was  sent  out  to  negotiate  with  the 
Indians,  to  whom  they  promised  that  their  friendship 
to  the  English  "  would  last  while  the  sun  and  moon 
ran  round  the  world:"  he  gave  them,  at  the  same 
time,  three  strings  of  wampum  as  tokens  of  alliance. 
The  governor  valued  Indian  friendship,  and  in  Octo- 
ber sent  out  George  Crogan,  whom  he  thought  adapted 
to  gain  great  influence  over  the  Indians;  being  a 
veteran  trader,  who  had  already  made  himself  popu- 
lar among  them  by  distributing  presents.  Andrew 
Montour,  a  Canadian  half-breed,  was  to  accompany 
him  as  interpreter.  They  obtained  a  small  present, 
but  were  to  assemble  a  meeting  of  the  tribes  at  Log- 
town,  on  the  Ohio,  in  the  next  spring,  to  receive  a 
greater  gift  which  the  assembly  would  bestow  on  that 
occasion. 

Christopher  Gist  was  afterward  dispatched  by  the 
Ohio  Company  to  explore  the  lands  on  the  Ohio  and 
its  tributaries,  as  far  as  the  Great  Falls ;  to  learn  the 
mountain  passes,  the  bearings  and  courses  of  rivers ; 
and  obtain  information  of  the  Indian  tribes.  By  an 
Indian  path  which  hunters  had  pointed  out,  he  left 
the  Potomac  on  the  last  day  of  October  for  the  Ohio. 
He  passed  the  Juniata  and  the  Alleghenies,  reached 
the  village  of  Shaunopin,  on  the  Ohio,  and  crossed 
the  part  of  it  now  termed  the  Allegheny,  arriving  at 
Log-town,  an  Indian  village,  situated  a  few  miles 
pelow  what  is  at  present  the  city  of  Pittsburg.  This 
was  the  residence  of  Tanacharisson,.  head  sachem  of 


OP    (JEOilQE    WASHINGTON.  37 

tne  mixed  tribes,  snrnamed  the  half-king,  and  subject 
to  the  Iroquois  Confederacy. 

Gist  returned  to  Shawnee-town  after  many  adven- 
tures, and  narrated  his  success  with  the  confederacy 
of  the  Miamees.  Great  rejoicing  was  the  conse- 
quence, and  feasting,  firing  of  guns,  and  congratula- 
tory speeches  became  the  order  of  the  day.  His 
object  being  gained,  he  proceeded,  and  directed  his 
course  toward  Cattawa,  on  the  Kentucky  River ;  and 
soon  the  magnificence  of  that  country  opened  to  his 
view,  long  before  the  great  pioneer,  Daniel  Boone, 
explored  it.  He  continued  his  journey  up  the  valley 
of  the  Kentucky,  and  on  the  first  of  May  ascended 
a  rock  sixty  feet  in  height,  when  the  great  Kanawha 
met  his  view  in  the  distance.  He  crossed  it  on  a  raft, 
and  after  many  toilsome  days  arrived  on  the  banks 
of  the  Yadkin,  his  frontier  home.  He  found  his  house 
deserted.  A  massacre  by  the  Indians  had  taken  place 
in  his  absence.  But  an  old  man  assured  him  of  the 
safety  of  his  family,  and  he  soon  rejoined  them  on 
the  banks  of  the  Roanoke.  Meanwhile,  the  Ottawa 
ambassadors  had  returned  to  inform  the  French  that 
their  flag  had  been  removed  from  the  council-house 
of  Piqua,  and  that  the  Miamees  had  rejected  their 
friends,  and  defied  them;  also  that  the  western 
tribes  would  meet  at  Log-town,  and  conclude  a  treaty 
with  Virginia.  An  attempt  was  made  by  the  French 
to  prevent  the  treaty,  by  means  of  Captain  loucaire, 
who  had,  when  young,  been  captured  by  a  tribe  of 
Iroquois,  had  been  brought  up  and  adopted  by  them, 
was  accustomed  to  their  habits,  and  afterward  re- 
tained great  influence  among  them  on  his  return  to 
4 

21 0385 


38  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

civilized  life.  He  was  active  in  the  French  interests, 
and  appeared  at  Log-town  in  company  with  forty 
Iroquois  warriors.  The  assembly  of  the  tribes  were 
feasting,  rejoicing,  and  firing  guns  in  honor  of  Penn- 
sylvania; for  Crogan  and  his  interpreter  were  dis- 
tributing the  presents  which  had  been  sent  by  the 
governor  of  that  colony.  loncaire  delivered  an  ani- 
mated speech  to  the  chiefs  in  their  own  language ; 
and  advised  them  to  turn  away  the  Indian  traders, 
and  never  deal  with  them,  under  penalty  of  the  dis- 
pleasure of  their  father,  the  Canadian  Governor. 
He  deposited  in  conclusion  a  belt  of  wampum  of 
large  size.  An  indignant  chief  arose  and  asked : 
"What  right  had  the  Canadian  Governor  here?"  and 
promised  to  trade  with  the  English  as  long  as  one  of 
them  should  live.  Thus  the  wampum-belt  was  re- 
jected, loncaire  then  wrote  to  the  Governor  of  Penn- 
sylvania, to  the  effect,  that  the  Marquis  de  la  Jon- 
^uiere,  Governor  of  New  France,  had  given  him 
orders  to  prevent  the  English  from  making  any  treaty 
in  the  Ohio  country;  that  those  territories  belonged 
to  the  King  of  France ;  and  that  the  English  had  no 
title  to  them.  Meanwhile,  Mr.  Gist,  under  the  sanc- 
tion of  the  Virginia  Legislature,  surveyed  the  lands 
in  the  grant  of  the  Ohio  country,  south  of  the  Ohio, 
and  as  far  down  as  the  great  Kanawha.  In  this  ex- 
pedition he  was  met  by  an  old  Delaware  sachem ; 
and  the  Indian  addressed  him  this  searching  question : 
"  The  French  claim  all  the  land  on  the  one  side  of 
the  Ohio,  the  English  claim  all  the  land  on  the  other 
side;  now,  where  does  the  Indian's  possessions  lie?" 
Between  the  encroachments  of  the  French  and  the 


0  w    <*  E  C  R  f»  E    WASHINGTON.  39 

English,  and  the  influences  that  have  followed  them, 
the  aborigines  have  gradually  become  extinct ;  and,  in 
the  lands  where  the  red  man  roamed  and  sounded  the 
war-whoop,  the  race  has  well  nigh  passed  away. 
Such  were  some  of  the  events  that  K'd  to  the  war  be- 
tween the  English  and  French,  in  which  great  bravery 
was  displayed  on  both  sides,  and  the  pathway  ulti- 
mately opened  to  the  independence  of  the  United 
States. 


40  TCELIFEAUDTlliEv* 


CHAPTER  IV. 

HOSTILE  PREPARATIONS  OF  THE  ENGLISH  AND  FRENCH  WASHINGTON 

APPOINTED     AN    ADJUTANT-GENERAL MOUNT    VERNON    BECOMES    A 

SCHOOL    OF  ARMS ILL    HEALTH    OF    HIS    BROTHER  LAURENCE — HE 

ACCOMPANIES  HIM  TO  BARBADOES LAURENCE  WASHINGTON  PRO- 
CEEDS TO  BERMUDA — HE  RETURNS  TO  DIE  AT  MOUNT  VERNON — NEW 
DUTIES  DEVOLVING  ON  GEORGE  WASHINGTON — THE  OHIO  TRIBES  AT 
LOG-TOWN  —  HOSTILITY  OF  THE  SIX  NATIONS  —  TANACHARISSON 
BEFORE  THE  FRENCH  COMMANDANT HIS  SPEECH,  AND  THE  FRENCH- 
MAN'S REPLY FRENCH  INTENTIONS EFFORTS  OF  THE  OHIO  COM- 
PANY—  CAPTAIN  TRENT  APPOINTED  ON  THE  WESTERN  MISSION  BY 
GOVERNOR  DINWIDDIE — HIS  ILL  SUCCESS,  AND  RETURN WASHING- 
TON APPOINTED  TO  SUCCEED  HIM  —  SETS  OUT  IN  NOV.  1753. 

HOSTILE  preparations  were  now  made  on  the  part 
of  France,  to  dispute  the  possession  by  the  English 
of  this  western  territory.  The  French  launched  a 
large  vessel  on  Lake  Ontario,  and  made  ready  their 
outposts  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio.  Their  trading- 
house  at  Niagara  was  fortified,  and  every  means  was 
employed  to  prepare  for  a  contest  which  was  to  be 
decided  by  the  sword.  The  British  colonies  were 
likewise  on  the  alert,  and  in  Virginia  in  particular; 
where  an  adjutant-general  was  appointed  to  attend 
to  the  organization  of  the  militia,  and  the  proper 
equipment  of  the  troops.  George  Washington  was  at 
this  time  made  an  adjutant-general;  and  he  reflected 
credit  on  the  post,  though  he  was  yet  but  nineteen 
years  of  age.  A  retired  officer,  who  had  served  at 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  41 

Carthagena  with  Laurence  Washington,,  assiduously 
instructed  him  in  the  military  art.     From  him   he 
learned  the  manual  exercises  and  some  field  evolutions. 
Jacob  Van   Braam,  a  Dutchman,  and  a  master  of 
fence,   also  trained  "Washington  in   the    use   of  the 
sword ;'  and  Mount  Vernon  resounded  with  the  clash 
of  arms,  and  the  din  of  hostile  preparations.     But 
the   declining   state   of   his   brother's   health   inter- 
rupted the  martial  studies  of  George  Washington; 
threatening  symptoms  of  a  pulmonary  disease  made 
a   residence    in    the   West    Indies    necessary ;    and 
thither  the  two   brothers   sailed  on   September  28, 
1751.     They  landed  at  Barbadoes  on  the  3d  of  No- 
vember.    Amid  beautiful  scenes  of  tropical  verdure, 
and  flattered  by  the  delusive  hopes  held  out  by  the 
physicians   of  that   place,  Washington   selected  his 
abode  in  a  pleasant  house  with  an  extensive  sea  pros- 
pect; and  the  theatre  which  the  place  afforded  gave 
him  some  amusement.     He  was  invited  to  dine  at 
the  residence  of  the  first  families ;  and  at  that  of 
Judge   Maynard,  these   brothers   associated  with    a 
company  called  "  The  Beefsteak  and   Tripe  Club," 
where  everything  was  served  up  in  the  richest  profu- 
sion, which  greatly  excited  the  admiration  of  Washing- 
ton.    He  was  taken  ill  of  the  small-pox  several  weeks 
after  his  arrival  in  the  island;  but  under  judicious 
medical  treatment,  and  his  brother's  care,  he  became 
convalescent  in  a  short  time.     His  face  was  slightly 
pitted  ever  after.     On  his  recovery,  he  made  various 
excursions,  and  was  struck  with  the  spendthrift  habits 
and   recklessness  of  some  of  the  planters.     His  as- 
tonishment was  excited  when  he  learned  that  persons 
4* 


42  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

in  that  island  inheriting  estates  of  three  or  four  hun- 
dred acres  of  land,  could  be  in  want. 

No  radical  change  in  the  health  of  his  brother  took 
place,  and  the  invalid  resolved  to  go  to  Bermuda  in 
the  spring;  and  that  till  then  George  should  return, 
and  bring  back  his  wife  from  Virginia.  After  an 
absence  of  four  months,  George  reached  home  in 
February.  He  made  observations  of  a  minute  nature 
on  both  voyages;  copied  the  log-book  at  sea  every 
day;  noted  the  changes  of  the  winds,  the  motions  of 
the  ship,  and  every  incident  that  transpired,  and 
gained  some  practical  nautical  knowledge.  The  soil 
and  agricultural  products,  the  commerce,  military 
strength,  and  governmental  regulations  of  Barbadoes, 
were  all  subjected  to  the  most  careful  scrutiny,  and 
remarks  on  them  he  noted  in  his  journal.  When 
his  brother  first  wrote  from  Bermuda,  there  were  hopes 
of  his  recovery,  and  he  still  desired  his  wife  to  join 
him.  But  another  letter  which  followed,  was  more 
desponding,  and  prevented  her  going  out.  He  talked 
of  "going  home  to  his  grave,"  and  this  dark  fore- 
boding was  full  of  the  saddest  meaning.  He  returned 
home  in  the  summer,  and  reached  it  in  time  to  die  in 
the  midst  of  his  family ;  attended  by  his  brother,  on 
whose  paternal  affection  his  heart  seemed  greatly  to 
repose.  He  died  in  his  thirty-fourth  year,  July  26, 
1752,  leaving  a  wife  and  daughter. 

George  "Washington,  by  the  death  of  his  brother, 
was  placed  in  a  new  position.  The  latter  left  large 
estates,  of  which  he  was  made  the  guardian  ;  and  in 
case  his  niece  should  die,  the  will  specified  that 
Mount  Vernon  should  be  possessed  by  her  mother 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  43 

during  her  lifetime,  after  which  George  should  be- 
come the  owner.  He  was  appointed  one  of  the  exe- 
cutors of  the  will;  and  though  but  twenty-two  yeara 
of  age,  such  was  the  confidence  he  inspired,  that  the 
whole  management  of  the  estate  devolved  upon  him, 
and  he  executed  his  trust  with  fidelity. 

The  Ohio  tribes  of  the  Delawares,  Shawnees,  and 
Mingoes  met  at  Log-town  at  the  appointed  time ;  but 
the  chiefs  of  the  Six  Nations  would  not  convene  with 
them,  proudly  delaring  that  it  was  not  their  custom 
to  treat  in  the  woods,  and  that  if  the  Governor  of  Vir- 
ginia wanted  to  meet  them,  he  should  send  them  a 
present  from  their  great  father,  meaning  the  British 
monarch ;  and  adding,  that  they  would  meet  him-  at 
Albany.  A  treaty  was  eventually  concluded  by  Colo- 
nel Fry  and  the  Virginia  Commissioners  at  Log-town, 
by  which  the  tribes  engaged  not  to  molest  the  English 
settlers;  and  the  half-king  advised  his  brothers  to 
build  a  strong  house  at  the  fork  of  the  Monongahela. 
Mr.  Gist  laid  out  a  town,  and  building  a  fort  at  Shur- 
tee's  Creek,  east  of  the  Ohio ;  began  a  settlement  near 
the  Youghiogeny,  in  which  he  assembled  eleven 
families ;  while  the  Ohio  Company  established  a 
trading-post  at  Will's  Creek,  now  the  Cumberland 
lliver.  French  aggressions  greatly  offended  the  Ohio 
tribes,  and  the  half-king  went  to  the  French  posts  on 
Lake  Eric,  to  remonstrate  with  them.  He  addressed 
them  as  follows:  "Fathers,  you  are  the  disturbers  of 
this  land  by  building  towns,  and  taking  the  country 
from  us  by  fraud  and  force.  We  kindled  a  fire  a 
long  time  since  at  Montreal,  where  we  desired  you  to 
stay,  and  not  to  come  and  intrude  on  our  land.  I 


44  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

now  advise  you  to  return  to  that  place,  for  this  land 
is  ours."  Tanacharisson  proceeded  to  tell  the  com- 
mandant, that  if  the  French  had  behaved  as  the 
English,  the  tribes  would  have  traded  with  them ;  but 
that  they  could  not  be  permitted  to  build  fortified 
places,  in  a  country  which  the  Great  Spirit  had  allotted 
to  the  Indians  for  their  residence ;  that  he  desired  to 
keep  both  parties  at  arm's  length  ;  that  he  would 
support  the  most  friendly  party ;  and  was  not  afraid 
to  order  them  off  the  land.  The  commandant  re- 
sponded contemptuously,  in  comparing  the  Indians  to 
mosquitoes,  of  which  he  had  no  fear ;  declared  that 
the  laud  did  not  belong  to  the  Indian ;  that  his  own 
forces  were  like  the  sands  of  the  sea;  and  giving  back 
his  wampum,  he  flung  it  at  him. 

The  deeply-insulted  Tanacharisson  felt  grieved  at 
heart ;  he  beheld  future  ruin  impended  over  the  In- 
dian ;  and  put  his  trust  in  the  English  as  their  only 
protectors.  The  French,  it  was  said,  intended  to 
erect  a  chain  of  military  forts  to  connect  Canada  and 
Louisiana,  and  thus  confine  the  English  between  the 
Alle^henies. 

d> 

The  Ohio  Company  soon  had  reason  to  complain 
to  Lieutenant-Governor  Dinvviddie  of  the  hostility 
of  the  French  and  Indians.  Captain  Trent  was  dis- 
patched to  the  French  commander  on  the  Ohio,  to  re- 
monstrate, and  he  also  carried  presents  for  the  Indians. 
He  stopped  at  Log-town  a  short  time ;  then  went  to 
Piqua,  and  found  that  the  place  had  been  attacked 
by  the  French,  their  Indian  allies,  the  Miamis,  de- 
feated, Piankesha  slain,  and  the  French  flag  floating 


OP    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  45 

over  the  ruins.     Trent  became  disheartened,  and  im- 
mediately made  the  best  of  his  way  homeward. 

Dimviddie  now  looked  around  for  a  suitable  person 
to  undertake  this  mission.  Washington  was  the  per- 
son whom  he  selected.  It  is  true  he  was  only  twenty- 
two  years  of  age ;  but  public  confidence  had  already 
obtained  for  him  a  reappointment  as  adjutant-general, 
and  his  acquaintance  with  the  dangers  and  mysteries 
of  the  wilderness  eminently  fitted  him  for.the  arduous 
enterprize.  His  instructions  were,  that  he  should 
proceed  to  the  Ohio,  convene  the  Indian  chiefs  at 
Log-town,  learn  the  localities  at  which  the  French 
were  stationed,  and  obtain  an  Indian  escort  for  the 
rest  of  the  journey.  At  the  chief  French  post  he  was 
to  present  the  letter  and  credentials  which  he  bore 
from  the  Governor  of  Virginia,  to  the  commandant ; 
and  require  an  answer  in  the  name  of  His  Majesty, 
the  British  king.  He  was  also  to  ascertain  what 
French  troops  had  crossed  the  lakes ;  the  reinforce- 
ments which  were  expected  from  Canada ;  the  num- 
ber and  localities  of  the  forts,  with  their  distances, 
and  garrisons;  and  lastly,  to  procure  all  possible  in- 
formation respecting  the  intruders,  their  state  or  con- 
dition, and  the  objects  which  they  had  in  view.  He 
commenced  his  journey  provided  with  the  proper  cre- 
dentials, having  the  seal  of  Virginia  affixed,  on  the 
last  day  of  November,  1753.  The  distance  to  be  tra- 
versed extended  about  five  hundred  and  sixty  miles, 
over  rugged  and  pathless  mountains,  and  through 
lonely  and  cheerless  wildernesses,  where  civilization 
had  not  yet  appeared,  or  developed  any  of  its  genial 
influences. 


46  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 


CHAPTER  V. 

WASHINGTON'S  JOURNEY  TO  THE  OHIO  —  ADVENTURES  AND  OBSERVA- 
TIONS  ON  THE   MONONGAHELA  —  HIS  COMPANIONS  —  LOG-TOWN  AND 

THE      SACHEMS INDIAN     DIPLOMACY IONCAIRE ARRIVAL     AT 

VENANGO — THE  RESULTS  OF  CONVIVIALITY — TEE  WAMPUM  —  LA 
FORCE,  THE  COMMISSARY  —  CHEVALIER  LEGARDEUR — AFFAIRS  AT 
THE  FORT — EFFORTS  TO  SEDUCE  THE  SACHEMS  FROM  THEIR  ENG- 
LISH ALLIANCE  —  TRYING  DELAYS DIFFICULT  NAVIGATION  OF 

FRENCH  CREEK — WASHINGTON  ARRIVES  AT  VENANGO  —  THE  HALF- 
KING'S  FAITH  IN  HIS  ENGLISH  BROTHERS  —  THE  HOMEWARD  ROUTE 
ITS  DIFFICULTIES. 

WASHINGTON  commenced  his  perilous  journey  as 
soon  as  be  received  his  appointment ;  and  at  Frede- 
ricksburg  engaged  his  old  master  of  fence,  Van 
Braam,  to  accompany  him  and  act  as  his  interpreter. 
At  Alexandria  he  procured  the  necessary  supplies  for 
the  journey ;  having  reached  "Winchester  on  the  fron- 
tier, he  purchased  horses,  tents,  and  other  parts  of 
the  outfit;  and  passing  through  a  road  recently 
opened  to  the  Cumberland  Eiver,  then  called  "Will's 
Creek,  he  arrived  on  its  banks  on  the  14th  of  Novem- 
ber. Here  he  engaged  Mr.  Gist,  the  pioneer  of  the 
Ohio,  as  pilot  in  his  expedition,  John  Davidson,  an 
Indian  interpreter,  four  frontiers-men,  of  whom  two 
were  traders;  with  these  and  Van  Braam  he  ad- 
vanced through  a  wild  country,  which  the  recent 
rains  had  rendered  almost  impassable.  On  the 


OF    GEOKGE    WASHINGTON.  47 

Monongahela  he  learned  from  John  Frazier,  an  Indian 
trader  who  kept  a  gunsmith's  shop  in  the  Indian  vil- 
lage of  Venango,  from  which  the  French  had  expelled 
him,  that  the  French  general  who  had  commanded 
on  the  frontiers  was  recently  dead;  and  that  the 
army  had  retired  into  winter  quarters.  The  rivers 
being  swollen,  Washington  sent  the  baggage  down 
the  Monongahela,  in  a  canoe,  in  the  care  of  two  men, 
who  had  orders  to  meet  him  on  the  Ohio,  at  the  con- 
fluence of  the  Monongahela  and  the  Allegheny. 
Here  he  made  a  careful  reconnoissance,  and  was  im- 
pressed with  the  advantages  which  the  place  pos- 
sessed for  the  site  of  a  military  fort,  for  the  purposes 
of  defence,  and  as  a  depot  for  supplies.  At  a  later 
period  a  fort  erected  on  the  spot  by  his  advice,  be- 
came distinguished  in  the  annals  of  two  wars ;  and 
Fort  du  Quesne,  so  noted  in  frontier  history,  when 
tested  by  French  engineers  of  experience  and  ability, 
proved  the  correctness  of  the  military  eye  of  Wash- 
ington. 

Here  he  visited  Shingis  in  his  village  —  the  chief 
sachem,  or  king  of  the  Delawares,  one  of  the  greatest 
of  the  native  warriors  —  who  had  once  raised  the 
hatchet  against  the  English,  but  who  now  accepted 
the  invitation  given  him  to  be  present  at  the  council 
at  Log-town.  When  they  reached  that  village  on  the 
following  day  after  sunset,  on  the  24th  of  November, 
Washington  found  the  half-king  absent  at  Beaver 
Creek,  hunting;  and  he  sent  runners  to  invite  him 
and  the  other  chiefs  to  a  conference.  Next  day  there 
came  to  the  village  four  French  deserters,  who  gave 
Washington  all  the  information  which  they  possessed 


48  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

respecting  the  French  force  at  New  Orleans,  their  forts 
on  the  Mississippi,  and  at  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash; 
of  all  which  he  made  notes  in  his  journal.  From  the 
sachem,  on  his  arrival,  he  learned  of  the  interview 
which  had  taken  place  between  him  and  the  French 
commandant ;  and  that  the  French  had  erected  two 
forts,  of  which  the  largest  was  on  Lake  Erie,  the 
other  on  French  Creek.  The  road  to  them  was  now 
impassable ;  the  nearest  fort  woujd  not  be  reached  in 
less  than  six  days,  and  the  journey  would  be  required 
to  be  taken  by  way  of  Venango.  The  chiefs  met 
Washington  at  the  council-house  on  the  next  day,  to 
'whom  ho  explained  his  object,  and  asked  their  ad- 
vice and  co-operation.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  con- 
ference, he  gave  them  that  indispensable  ingredient 
'of  Indian  diplomacy,  a  string  of  warnpum.  Accord- 
ing to  custom,  the  chiefs  sat  a  long  time  after  he  had 
concluded  his  address,  as  if  deliberating  on  what  he 
had  said,  or  as  if  expecting  to  hear  him  continue. 

At  last,  the  sachem  arose,  and  assured  Washington 
on  behalf  of  the  tribes,  that  they  considered  the  Eng- 
lish as  brothers,  and  one  people,  arid  intended  to 
return  the  French  the  wampums,  or  "speech  belts;" 
which,  in  Indian  diplomacy,  signified  a  dissolution 
of  all  friendly  relations.  An  escort  was  promised 
Washington,  composed  of  Delawares,  Mingoes,  and 
Shenandoahs ;  but  a  three  days'  preparation  was  re- 
quired for  the  journey.  The  delay  was  very  inconve- 
nient to  Washington,  who  had  yet  to  learn  the  cha- 
racteristics of  Indian  diplomacy;  and  he  ascertained 
that  a  speedy  departure  would  be  offensive  to  Indian 
dignity.  News  arrived,  at  this  crisis,  that  Captain 


14 

OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  49 

loncaire  had  convened  a  meeting  at  Venango,  of  the 
Mingoes,  Delawares,  and  other  tribes,  and  informed 
them  that,  for  the  present,  the  French  had  entered 
into  winter  quarters,  but  would  fight  the  English  iu 
the  spring;  and  advised  them  not  to  interfere,  or  the 
French  and  English  would  combine,  and  after  exter- 
minating them,  make  a  division  of  their  lands.  The 
sachem  and  the  other  chiefs  were  anxious  to  get 
from  Washington  the  true  purpose  of  his  errand  to 
the  French  commandant;  and  they  declared  that 
they  had  done  as  required  by  the  Governor  of  Vir 
ginia. 

"Washington  set  out  on  November  the  30th,  1753, 
with  his  own  party,  and  in  company  with  an  Indian 
hunter,  the  sachem,  and  another  venerable  sachem 
named  Jeskakake,  which  means  a  "belt  of  wampum," 
and  White  Thunder.  Although  the  distance  to  Ve- 
nango was  only  seventy  miles,  it  took  the  party  until 
the  4th  of  December  to  reach  it.  The  French  colors 
were  displayed  on  their  arrival;  and  in  reply  to  an  in- 
quiry of  Washington,  he  was  informed  that  the  French 
commandant  loncaire  had  control  of  the  Ohio.  That 
officer,  when  he  ascertained  the  business  of  Washing- 
ton, advised  him  to  apply  to  the  commander  of  the 
next  fort  for  an  answer  to  the  letter;  and,  meanwhile, 
gave  him  an  invitation  to  supper  at  head-quarters. 
The  use  of  the  bottle  soon  dispelled  the  prudence  and 
disarmed  the  sagacity  of  his  hosts  ;  for  restraint  was 
abandoned,  and  they  avowed  that  it  was  their  intention 
to  take  the  territory  and  forts  on  the  Ohio,  and  that 
they  could  do  so ;  for  though  the  English  could  raise 
double  their  number  of  troops,  they  were  too  slow  in 
5  D 


71 


50  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

their  movements  to  accomplish  anything.  Washing- 
ton preserved  his  sobriety,  and  listened  to  their 
drunken  revealings,  while  Van  Braam  was  employed 
in  repeatedly  pledging  them.  Washington,  as  usual, 
took  notes  of  all  that  passed,  especially  in  reference 
to  the  number  and  distribution  of  the  French  forces, 
the  forts  and  their  localities,  with  the  facilities  which 
existed  for  their  supply.  The  rain  was  too  severe  on 
the  next  day  for  the  party  to  proceed,  and  loncaire 
wondered  why  the  sachem  had  not  appeared  at  head- 
quarters, and  was  enraptured  to  behold  his  Indian 
brothers.  He  made  them  presents,  and  entertained 
them  abundantly  with  liquor;  so  that  the  poor  half- 
king  Jeskakake,  and  White  Thunder,  soon  forgot 
everything  in  the  stupefaction  of  a  happy  oblivion. 
The  unfortunate  sachem  was  sadly  mortified  on  the 
next  day,  and  could  not  be  kept  from  making  a  speech, 
much  to  the  same  effect  as  that  before  the  French 
commandant;  and  in  conclusion  he  offered  to  return 
the  French  "speech  belt,"  which  loncaire  would  not 
receive,  but  desired  him  to  take  to  the  commander  of 
the  fort.  It  was  only  on  the  7th  of  December  that 
Washington  could  proceed,  in  consequence  of  the 
attempts  and  stratagems  of  loncaire  to  detain  the 
sachems,  or  bring  them  over  to  his  views.  A  wily 
French  commissary,  named  La  Force,  accompanied 
them — a  resolute  and  active  person,  who  made  con- 
siderable mischief,  and  in  the  end  met  his  just  reward. 
Four  days'  travel,  in  the  midst  of  snow  and  rain, 
brought  the  adventurers  to  the  fort;  it  was  placed  on 
an  island,  fifteen  miles  south  of  Lake  Erie.  A  hollow 
square,  formed  by  four  houses,  with  a  defence  of 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  51 

bastions  and  palisading  twelve  feet  high,  with  holes 
for  cannon  and  small  arms,  were  its  chief  elements 
of  strength,  together  with  a  forge,  stables,  and  log- 
houses  for  the  soldiers.  Chevalier  Legardeur  de  St. 
Pierre  was  the  commandant  —  a  ceremonious  gentle- 
man  of  the  old  school,  combining  the  politeness  of 
the  courtier  with  the  exactness  of  the  soldier.  As  soon 
as  Washington  had  presented  Governor  Dinwiddie's 
letter  and  his  own  credentials,  he  was  disposed  to 
proceed  at  once  to  business ;  but  the  Chevalier  re- 
quested him  to  retain  those  documents  till  his  prede- 
decessor,  Eeparti,  should  arrive.  That  individual  soon 
came,  and  Van  Braam  then  read  and  translated  the 
letter,  in  which  Dinwiddie  complained  that  the  French 
had  intruded  into  the  dominions  of  the  British  crown, 
had  erected  forts  in  Ohio,  and  made  settlements  in 
Western  Virginia. 

The  writer  desired  to  be  informed  upon  whose  au- 
thority the  French  commander  had  marched  from 
Canada  and  made  this  invasion;  and  he  hoped  that  he 
would  not  pursue  a  course  inimical  to  the  friendly  re- 
lations previously  existing  between  the  British  mo- 
narch and  the  French  king.  He  commended  Wash- 
ington to  his  confidence  and  attention.  While  'the 
Chevalier  and  his  officers  were  deliberating  upon  their 
answer  to  this  missive,  Washington  was  taking  notes 
of  the  fort,  its  plan,  strength,  and  dimensions.  He 
ordered  his  people  to  see  what  canoes  were  ready  for 
service,  and  how  many  were  in  process  of  construction. 
He  discovered  that  measures  were  being  taken  to  with- 
draw the  half-king  and  other  sachems  from  the  English 
alliance ;  and  Washington  advised  them  to  deliver  up 


52  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

the  "speech  belts"  to  the  French,  as  they  had  before 
promised  to  do.  The  Indians  asked  an  audience  of  the 
French,  and  a  private  one  was  accorded  to  them.  The 
wily  Chevalier  evaded  the  acceptance  of  the  proffered 
wampurns,  and  declared  that  he  had  a  present  to  send 
to  Log-town,  and  wished  to  live  at  peace  with  all  the 
tribes  on  the  Ohio.  Several  circumstances  induced 
Washington  to  make  his  stay  at  the  fort  as  brief  as  pos- 
sible. He  was  informed  that  every  British  subject  was 
to  be  seized,  who  traded  on  the  Ohio ;  and  Captain 
Reparti  told  him  that  some  Indians  had  carried  a  white 
boy  as  captive  past  the  fort,  and  had  borne  several 
scalps  of  white  men.  The  Chevalier  gave  him  the 
sealed  reply  to  Dinwiddie's  letter  on  the  14th,  and  on 
the  15th  he  prepared  to  return  by  Venango ;  but  all 
his  movements  were  impeded  by  a  secret  influence. 

Every  means  was  now  employed  to  seduce  the 
sachems,  and  put  the  Indians  at  variance  with  the 
English.  The  commandant  caused  the  canoes  to  be 
supplied  with  abundant  provisions  and  liquor,  dissem- 
bling all  the  artifices  he  practised  for  the  detention  of 
the  party ;  and  when  "Washington  complained  that 
their  delay  detained  him,  as  they  were  a  part  of  his 
company,  he  declared  that  it  was  not  his  intention  to 
hinder  their  departure.  He  then  in  vain  endeavored  to 
persuade  the  sachems  to  start ;  but  the  secret  was  that 
they  had  been  promised  a  present  of  guns  if  they  de- 
layed till  morning;  and  afterward,  when  they  received 
them,  attempts  were  made  to  intoxicate  them.  Just 
at  that  moment,  Washington  informed  the  half-king 
that  his  royal  word  was  pledged  to  depart;  and  the 
eachem,  after  due  importunity,  complied,  and  leaving 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  53 

the  tempting  liquor,  embarked.  The  navigation  of 
French  Creek  was  full  of  peril  from  the  floating  ice, 
by  which  the  frail  skiffs  were  often  in  danger  of  being 
staved.  The  party  had  frequently  to  leap  into  the 
water,  and  draw  the  canoes  over  shoals ;  and  in  one 
place  to  convey  them  across  a  neck  of  land  for  a 
quarter  of  a  mile.  At  last  they  arrived  at  Venango. 
Washington  and  the  sachems  then  separated,  as 
"White  Thunder  had  injured  himself,  and  the  others 
desired  to  wait  at  Venango  for  several  days  to  convey 
him  down  the  river.  Washington  was  apprehensive 
that  the  wily  loncaire  would  ply  the  liquor  to  seduce 
them  from  the  alliance,  and  warned  the  half-king  of 
that  danger.  But  he  desired  him  not  to  fear,  as  he 
had  given  up  the  French,  and  would  adhere  to  his 
English  brothers.  His  sincerity  afterward  stood  the 
test,  for  he  faithfully  kept  his  word.  On  December 
25th,  Washington  and  his  party  set  out  from  Venango 
to  complete  their  homeward  journey,  with  a  long  and 
difficult  undertaking  before  them.  It  was  feared  that 
the  jaded  pack-horses  would  break  down;  and  Wash- 
ington, dismounting,  set  the  example  to  the  party  of 
using  the  saddle-horses  for  transportation.  The  whole 
company  now  travelled  on  foot.  The  cold  increased 
in  intensity,  and  the  horses  were  scarcely  able  to  pro- 
ceed on  their  difficult  and  laborious  pathway. 


54  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 


CHAPTER  VI. 

PERILS  IN  THE  WILDERNESS — MURDERING-TOWN — INDIAN  TREACHERT 
A  NIGHT  OF  GREAT  ANXIETY FEARFUL  DANGER  ON  THE  ALLE- 
GHENY— FORTUNATE  ESCAPE — QUEEN  ALIQUIPPA,  THE  WATCH-COAT, 
AND  THE  FIRE-WATER  —  WASHINGTON  CROSSES  THE  BLUE  RIDGE  — 
CHEVALIER  DE  ST.  PIERRE'S  REPLY — THE  MISSION  OF  CAPTAIN  TRENT 
TO  OHIO  —  WASHINGTON  RAISES  RECRUITS  —  DINWIDDIE  FINDS  THE 
VIRGINIANS  GROWING  DIFFICULT  TO  GOVERN — HIS  EFFORTS  TO  RAISE 
RECRUITS  —  CAPTAIN  VAN  BRAAM — TRIALS  IN  TRANSPORTATION  — 
CONTRECO3UR  AT  THE  FORK  OF  THE  OHIO. 

WASHINGTON  was  impatient  to  return  home.  He 
put  the  cavalcade  under  Van  Braam's  direction,  and, 
accompanied  by  Mr.  Gist,  with  his  pack  on  his 
shoulder,  and  his  gun  in  hand,  he  hastened  on  to 
Beaver  Creek,  otherwise  called  Murdering-town, 
having  once  been  the  scene  of  an  Indian  massacre. 
Here  he  planned  his  route,  struck  through  the  forests, 
and  hoped  to  be  able  to  cross  the  Allegheny  River  on 
the  ice.  At  Murdering- town,  a  party  of  Indians  ap- 
peared to  wait  for  them;  and  an  Indian  proposed 
some  very  inquisitive  questions  respecting  their  jour- 
ney. Their  way  was  through  a  trackless  wild,  and 
it  was  thought  expedient  to  employ  one  of  the  Indians 
as  a  guide.  Several  circumstances  tended  to  excite 
suspicion  in  the  minds  of  the  travellers  in  reference 
to  this  person,  and  an  ambuscade  was  apprehended. 
They  found  themselves  at  length  in  a  wide  meadow, 
made  brighter  by  the  reflection  of  the  snow  on  the 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  55 

ground.  The  Indian  guide,  who  had  proceeded  them 
fifteen  paces,  at  length  turned  suddenly  around,  aimed 
at  them,  and  fired.  Washington  was  startled,  but 
was  not  wounded,  and  on  asking  Gist  whether  he 
was  injured,  his  answer  was  in  the  negative.  They 
ran  and  overtook  the  Indian  as  he  reloaded ;  seized 
him,  and  wrested  his  weapon  from  him.  Gist  would 
have  dispatched  the  traitor ;  but  Washington  would 
not  permit  him  to  be  slain,  and  pretending  that  the 
firing  of  the  gun  was  an  accident  or  signal,  the 
Indian  asserted  the  truth  of  this  view  of  the  case,  and 
said  his  cabin  was  at  no  great  distance.  Gist  re- 
plied that  he  might  return  home;  but  that  they  would 
remain  there  all  night ;  giving  the  Indian  at  the  same 
time  a  cake  of  bread,  and  saying  that  he  must  fur- 
nish them  with  some  meat  in  the  morning.  The 
Indian  then  withdrew,  and  did  not  return.  What- 
ever his  designs  may  have  been,  he  was  apparently 
glad  to  be  released.  They  continued  their  journey, 
however,  and  in  the  evening  reached  the  banks  of 
the  Allegheny.  They  had  expected  to  find  the  river 
frozen  over.  It  was  so,  indeed,  for  fifty  yards ;  but 
quantities  of  broken  ice  were  floating  in  the  channel. 
A  night  of  great  anxiety  ensued.  They  encamped 
on  the  borders  of  the  river,  and  at  daylight  they  at- 
tempted to  construct  a  raft  with  an  axe,  which  lahor 
employed  them  a  whole  day.  They  then  launched 
and  tried  to  propel  it ;  but  as  they  moved  it  with  set- 
ting-poles, it  became  entangled  between  cakes  of  ice, 
and  they  were  placed  in  imminent  peril.  Washing- 
ton, with  bis  pole  at  the  bottom,  made  great  efforts  to 
Btay  the  raft  till  it  could  be  released  from  the  ice ;  but 


56  THELIFEANDTIMES 

by  the  rapidity  of  the  current  the  frozen  masses 
struck  with  such  violence  against  the  pole,  as  to  throw 
him  into  the  water  where  it  was  of  great  depth ;  and 
where  he  would  have  been  drowned,  had  it  not  been 
for  the  tenacity  with  which  he  clung  to  a  portion  of 
the  raft.  At  length  they  reached  the  opposite  shore, 
and  passed  the  following  night  upon  the  snow.  They 
then  hurried  forward  to  the  house  of  Fra^ier,  the 
Indian  trader,  on  the  Monongahela,  where  they  heard 
of  a  family  of  whites  on  the  banks  of  the  Great  Ka- 
nawha,  who  had  been  murdered  by  some  Ottawas  in 
French  interests.  Near  this  spot  lived  Queen  Ali- 
quippa,  not  far  from  the  mouth  of  the  Youghiogeny, 
and  they  made  their  way  to  the  royal  wigwam. 
Washington  then  paid  a  visit  of  ceremony  to  this 
princess,  and  gained  her  favor  by  a  present  of  an  old 
watch-coat  and  a  bottle  of  rum,  which  appeared  to 
be  highly  prized  by  that  potentate.  They  reached 
the  residence  of  Gist,  on  the  Monongahela,  on  Jan. 
2d,  1754 ;  and  Washington  parted  from  him,  on  his 
homeward  journey,  crossing  the  Blue  Ridge.  He  de- 
layed for  a  single  day  at  Belvoir,  and  reached  Wil- 
liamsburg  on  the  16th  of  the  month ;  where  he  de- 
livered a  full  and  accurate  account  of  his  mission  to 
Governor  Dinwiddie. 

This  expedition  became  the  foundation  of  the  for- 
tunes of  Washington,  and  made  him  the  object  of 
general  applause  in  Virginia.  The  great  courage  and 
singular  perseverance  amid  the  perils  of  the  wilder- 
ness, which  he  had  displayed,  when  surrounded  by 
fearful  dangers  among  ruthless  savages,  and  in  the 
prosecution  of  his  journey  through  almost  impassable 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  57 

routes ;  his  extraordinary  hardihood  in  sleeping  on 
the  ground  in  inclement  weather  and  in  the  open  air, 
in  the  vicinity  of  a  treacherous  foe ;  all  pointed  him 
out  as  a  man  of  remarkable  capacity,  energy,  and 
resolution  ;  and  gave  him  the  reputation  which  placed 
him  subsequently  on  an  exalted  pinnacle  of  respon- 
sibility and  fame. 

The  Chevalier  de  St.  Pierre  returned  a  courteous 
answer  to  the  letter  of  the  Governor  of  Virginia,  and 
said  that  he  would  conform  to  the  instructions  of  his 
general,  and  with  that  inflexible  resolution  which 
could  be  expected  of  the  best  officer.  The  Governor 
and  Council  of  Virginia  came  to  the  conclusion,  that 
this  punctilious  letter  was  but  evasive ;  and  that  the 
French  were  preparing  to  take  military  possession  of 
the  Ohio  Territory  in  the  spring.  Captain  Trent  was 
sent  to  raise  one  hundred  men  to  finish  the  fort  begun 
by  the  Ohio  Company;  and  he  is  supposed  to  have 
been  chosen,  notwithstanding  his  former  failure,  on 
account  of  his  being  the  brother-in-law  of  George 
Crogan,  the  Indian  trader,  who  was  thought  to  have 
much  influence  with  the  Indians.  Washington  was 
authorized  to  raise  a  force  at  Alexandria ;  to  procure 
the  supplies  for  the  fort  at  the  Fork,  and  ultimately 
to  take  command  of  both  companies.  He  was  di- 
rected to  consult  George  Crogan  and  Andrew  Mon- 
tour,  the  interpreters,  who  were  looked  on  as  oracles 
in  Indian  matters. 

Dinwiddie  endeavored  to  combine  all  the  gover- 
nors against  the  common  foe ;  and  to  effect  alliances 
with  the  Cherokees  and  Cahawbas ;  the  Ottowas  and 
Chippewas  being  already  in  the  French  interests. 


58  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

The  colonists  made  various  excuses  for  not  sustaining 
the  purposes  of  the  governor;  he  convened  the  House 
of  Burgesses,  but  met  grievous  disappointment  from 
the  mistaken  pride  of  independence  which  inflamed 
them.  Some  questioned  the  king's  right  to  the  ter- 
ritory;  and  others  objected  to  granting  supplies,  lest 
such  means  should  be  looked  upon  as  an  act  of  hos-, 
tili'ty.  The  governor  complained  bitterly  of  their  re- 
publican way  of  thinking,  and  said  that  "  he  feared 
that  it  would  render  them  more  and  more  difficult  to 
be  brought  to  order."  The  event  proved  that  he  was 
no  false  prophet.  The  number  of  troops  required 
was  three  hundred,  and  these  were  to  be  divided  into 
six  companies,  of  which  the  command  was  offered  to 
"Washington,  who  declined  ;  and  Colonel  Joshua  Fry, 
a  man  of  influence  and  ability,  obtained  it.  "Washing- 
ton was  appointed  second  in  command.  A  bounty  of 
land  offered  by  Governor  Dinwiddie,  greatly  assisted 
the  recruiting,  which  had  at  first  made  very  slow 
progress.  But  it  was  more  difficult  to  get  officers 
than  soldiers ;  and  many  of  those  appointed  did  not 
appear.  "Washington  was  left  almost  alone  to  manage 
and  train  the  raw  recruits.  In  his  emergency,  he 
made  Van  Braam,  his  old  master  of  fence,  captain ; 
and  set  off  for  the  new  fort  on  the  Ohio,  on  the  2d  of 
April,  1754,  with  two  companies,  containing  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  men.  Colonel  Fry  was  to 
conduct  the  rest.  While  on  the  march,  "Washington 
was  joined  by  Adam  Stephens,  an  officer  who  was 
destined  to  serve  with  him  some  years  after  this 
period.  He  could  with  difficulty  obtain  the  necessary 
horses  and  wagons  at  Winchester,  and  was  obliged 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  59 

to  impress  them.  The  farmers  gave  their  worst 
horses,  and  these  were  of  little  service.  "With  great 
toil  the  cannon  and  baggage  were  transported ;  but 
the  hope  was,  that  at  Will's  Creek  Trent  would  have 
pack-horses  in  readiness.  But  Trent  proved  himself 
to  be  a  worthless  person,  and  failed  to  fulfil  his  com- 
mission. There  was  a  report  of  his  capture  by  the 
French,  but  the  rumor  was  entirely  false. 

Captain  Contrecceur  had  sailed  down  the  Venango 
with  a  thousand  men,  and  had  taken  possession  of 
the  fort  —  the  whole  garrison  not  consisting  of  fifty 
men.  The  news  of  its  capitulation  was  carried  to 
"Washington  by  an  ensign.  He  was  accompanied  by 
two  warriors,  one  of  whom  conveyed  an  address  from 
the  half-king  to  "Washington,  and  the  other  a  belt  of 
wampum  for  the  Governor  of  Virginia,  which  Wash- 
ington forwarded  with  one  of  the  warriors.  He  re- 
tained the  other  warrior,  whom  he  sent  to  the  half- 
king  with  messages  of  a  conciliatory  nature  for  the 
chiefs  and  sachems  of  the  Six  United  Nations.  He 
called  a  council  of  war,  in  which  they  resolved  to 
fortify  themselves  at  the  store-houses  of  the  Ohio 
Company,  at  the  mouth  of  Redstone  Creek,  and  there 
watch  the  enemy.  Washington  sent  sixty  men  in 
advance,  and  wrote  to  Dinwiddie  for  mortars,  gre- 
nades, and  heavy  cannon.  He  now  experienced  the 
trials  of  his  new  situation,  and  gained  a  foretaste 
of  the  perplexities  and  difficulties  which,  in  future, 
awaited  him  from  the  foe,  and  from  the  inefficiency  of 
his  own  friends  in  legislative  councils.  Trent  and 
Frazier  began  to  be  severely  censured.  The  first  was 
stigmatized  as  a  coward.  The  other  wa?  not  so  guilty 


60  THELIFEANDTIMES 

in  his  neglect  of  duty,  and  he  was  recommended  by 
Washington  as  adjutant  at  a  future  period.  The  dif- 
ferent colonial  assemblies  were  very  slow  at  this  time 
in  voting  supplies  —  a  fault  which  produced  incal- 
culable injury  to  their  interests  in  this  war  with 
France,  and  still  more  in  the  days  of  the  American 
Revolution. 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  61 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  MARCH  TO  "  LITTLE  MEADOWS"  —  CORRESPONDENCE  WITH  DIW- 

WIDDIE    AND    LORD    FAIRFAX THE    DISINTERESTED    VIEWS    OP 

WASHINGTON — FRENCH  EMISSARIES  —  MESSAGE  FROM  THE  SACHEM 

THE  GREAT  MEADOWS,  AND  SKIRMISH  WITH  JUMONVILLE  —  ITS 

RESULTS  —  WASHINGTON'S  FIRST  BATTLE — SCARCITY  OF  PROVI- 
SIONS—  DEATH  OF  COLONEL  FRY,  AND  PROMOTIONS  —  CAPTAIN 

MACKEY  AND    THE    INDEPENDENT    COMPANY PRAYERS    IN    CAMP  — 

FIGHT  AT  GREAT  MEADOWS,  AND  SURRENDER  OF  FORT  NECESSITY 
—  THANKS  VOTED  BY  THE  HOUSE  OF  BURGESSES  TO  THE  TROOPS  — 
EXCEPTIONS  MADE,  AND  REASONS  FOR  THEM  —  END  OF  WASHING- 
TON'S FIRST  CAMPAIGN. 

"WASHINGTON  commenced  his  march  towards  "Will's 
Creek  on  April  29th,  1754,  at  the  head  of  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  men.  It  was  found  difficult  to  travel 
through  rugged  mountains,  and  the  dismal  forest 
known  by  the  epithet  of  the  Shades  of  Death ;  but 
on  the  9th  of  May  the  party,  after  experiencing  im- 
mense difficulty  in  dragging  the  artillery  of  Colonel 
Fry,  arrived  at  Little  Meadows.  Various  incidents 
occurred  to  indicate  that  the  French  were  in  motion ; 
and  Washington  soon  discovered  that  they  were  con- 
structing a  fort  in  the  place  he  had  noted  as  the  best 
adapted  for  that  purpose.  He  suspected  that  the  French 
emissary,  La  Force,  was  acting  the  part  of  a  spy,  as 
he  had  been  seen  lurking  about  near  Laurel  Hill 
with  four  soldiers;  and  in  the  reports  of  presents  be* 
6 


62  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

stowed  upon  the  Indians,  he  found  that  the  sachem  waa 
in  his  interests,  and  on  his  way  with  fifty  warriors  to 
meet  him.  On  their  arrival  at  the  Youghiogeny,  after 
excessive  toil,  Washington  found  leisure  to  write  to 
Governor  Dimviddie,  respecting  the  embarrassing  state 
of  affairs,  in  consequence  of  the  want  of  liberality  in 
the  Virginia  Government,  with  respect  to  the  provin- 
cial soldiers  and  officers,  who  received  less  pay  than 
the  regular  army,  and  had  to  fare  entirely  on  salted 
provisions.  Nothing  prevented  the  officers  from 
throwing  up  their  commissions,  but  their  reluctance 
to  endure  the  shame  of  shrinking  from  danger.  These 
were  also  the  sentiments  of  "Washington.  He  did 
not  object  to  serve  voluntarily,  but  he  declared  that 
he  would  rather  toil  as  a  day-laborer  for  a  subsistence, 
when  necessity  should  demand  it,  than  serve  under 
such  disadvantageous  circumstances.  He,  however, 
remarked  that,  possessed  as  he  was  of  a  constitution 
hardy  enough  to  endure  the  severest  trials,  he  would 
not  flinch,  and  in  any  case  would  be  the  last  man  to 
leave  the  Ohio.  In  a  letter  to  Lord  Fairfax  he  mani- 
fested his  indifference  to  performing  the  service  of  a 
volunteer,  or  otherwise  as  might  be  required ;  and 
characterized  the  motives  which  influenced  him  as 
being  pure  and  noble,  his  only  aim  being  the  service 
of  his  king  and  country. 

Hearing  that  the  foe  were  in  the  act  of  crossing  the 
Youghiogeny,  at  the  distance  of  eighteen  miles  from 
his  post,  he  took  up  his  position  in  the  Great  Mea- 
dows, cleared  away  the  bushes,  and  declared,  after 
making  an  intreuchment,  that  it  was  "a  charming 
field  for  an  encounter."  Six  men  were  missing  when 


OF    GEOR3E    WASHINGTON.  63 

the  roll  was  called,  for  desertions  had  already  begun 
He  detached  seventy-five  men  after  La  Force,  whom 
he  regarded  as  subtle  and  mischievous ;  and,  deter- 
mined to  anticipate  the  hostile  force  that  had  hovered 
around  him  for  some  days,  he  took  forty  men,  and 
with  them  reached  the  camp  of  the  half-king  at  sun- 
set. He  was  received  with  great  apparent  manifesta- 
tions of  friendship  ;  and  with  a  brother  sachem,  Sca- 
rooyadi,  or  Monacatoocha,  accompanied  Washington 
to  the  trails  he  had  discovered,  and  putting  two  In- 
dians on  them,  they  traced  them  to  a  French  encamp- 
ment. He  came  upon  them  suddenly,  with  the  halt- 
king  and  his  warriors,  in  perfect  silence.  The  French 
ran  to  their  arms,  and  a  brisk  conflict  took  place  during 
the  quarter  of  an  hour,  while  the  party  received  the 
enemy's  fire.  The  balls  whistled  around  "Washing- 
ton, killing  one  man  and  wounding  three  others. 
The  French  lost  several  men  and  then  retreated;  and 
being  hotly  pursued,  twenty-one  were  taken  captive, 
and  but  a  single  Canadian  escaped  to  carry  the 
tidings  back  to  the  fort.  Washington  prevented  the 
Indians  from  scalping  the  prisoners.  He  considered 
his  own  escape  as  providential.  Ten  of  the  French 
were  killed ;  one  was  wounded.  Jumonville,  the 
French  leader,  fell  at  the  first  fire,  being  shot  through. 
the  head.  He  was  an  officer  of  merit,  'and  his  fate  was 
much  deplored.  An  officer  named  Drouillou,  and  La 
Force,  were  the  most  important  of  the  prisoners  who 
were  taken.  They  pretended  that  tbey  were  advanc- 
ing to  summon  Washington  to  leave  theFrench  territo- 
lie.s;  but  a  letter  of  instruction  to  Jumonville  proved 
the  contrary  to  have  been  the  fact.  They  were  in 


64  THELIFEANDTIMES 

reality  spies,  and  suffered  the  penalty  of  prisoners  of 
war ;  were  conducted  to  Great  Meadows,  and  sent  to 
Governor  Dinwiddie,  then  at  "Winchester,  with  a  cau- 
tion to  be  on  his  guard  in  his  communications  with 
them. 

Washington  was  now  in  a  perilous  situation,  as 
Contrecceur  had  nearly  a  thousand  men  at  the  fort 
under  his  command,  exclusive  of  Indians.  lie  wrote 
to  Colonel  Fry  at  Will's  Creek,  to  send  on  reinforce- 
ments; but  he  also  declared  his  determination  to 
fight  with  numbers  very  unequal,  and  not  to  yield  to 
the  foe.  The  sachem  was  intent  on  the  tight,  and 
would  have  all  his  allies  present.  He  sent  them  the 
scalps  of  the  slain  Frenchmen,  with  hatchets  and 
wampums,  and  summoned  his  warriors  to  meet  him 
at  Redstone  Creek.  He  left  them  for  his  home, 
promising  to  send  for  the  Mingoes  and  Shawnees, 
and  on  the  30th  to  bring  back  thirty  or  forty  warriors 
to  the  carnp.  Washington  wrote  to  Dinwiddie  on 
the  29th,  saying  that  he  expected  to  be  attacked;  and 
that  if  he  should  hear  of  his  being  beaten,  he  would 
be  told,  at  the  same  time,  that  they  had  performed  their 
duty,  and  had  fought  to  the  last.  Washington,  in  a 
letter  to  a  relative  at  this  period,  is  said.to  have  de- 
scribed the  late  affair,  and  his  escape  from  harm:  "I 
heard  the  bullets  whistle,  and,  believe  me,  there  is 
Bomething  charming  in  the  sound."  Horace  Wai- 
pole  termed  Washington  "a  brave  braggart;"  and  the 
affair  having  reached  the  ears  of  King  George  II.,  he 
said :  "  He  would  not  say  so  if  he  had  been  used  to 
hear  many"  —  an  opinion  confirm ed  by  Washington 
himself  after  he  became  more  experienced  in  deadly 


OP    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  65 

encounters.  Being  asked  at  a  later  period  if  he  had 
ever  said  so,  he  replied,  coolly:  "  If  I  did,  it  was  when 
I  was  young." 

In  consequence  of  the  mismanagement  of  the  com- 
missariat, provisions  began  to  be  scarce  in  the  Eng- 
lish camp,  and  the  troops  were  six  days  without  flour. 
Washington  wrote  to  Crogan  to  send  all  that  he 
could  furnish,  which  was  the  more  needed  as  several 
Indian  allies,  with  their  wives  and  children,  had 
arrived.  Colonel  Fry  had  expired  at  Will's  Creek, 
and  was  succeeded  by  Colonel  Innes,  of  North  Caro- 
lina, in  the  command.  This  appointment  gave  satis- 
faction to  Washington,  as  he  was  an  experienced 
officer,  and  had  served  at  the  siege  of  Carthagena 
with  his  brother  Laurence.  But  the  colonel  never 
came  into  the  camp.  By  the  death  of  Fry,  Washing- 
ton was  really  in  command  of  the  regiment.  He  ap- 
pointed Captain  Adam  Stephens  major,  and  wrote  to 
Dinwiddie  in  favor  of  Van  Braam.  The  palisading 
was  completed  which  had  been  commenced  some 
time  before,  and  this  work  they  called  Fort  Neces- 
sity, from  their  being  pushed  for  provisions  during  its 
construction.  Fry's  men  at  length  came  up,  and  then 
the  force  amounted  to  three  hundred.  Dr.  James 
Craik,  a  Scotchman,  and  destined  to  become  one  of  the 
mos*  confidential  friends  of  Washington,  accompanied 
them  as  the  surgeon  of  the  troops.  An  independent 
compan}-  of  one  hundred  men,  under  Captain  Mackey, 
was  expected  soon  to  arrive.  The  name  "  indepen- 
dent" did  not  please  Washington,  who,  in  writing  to 
Dinwiddie,  wished  to  know  whether  Mackey  would  be 
under  his  "command  or  independent  of  it,  and  hoped 
6*  E 


66  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

he  would  have  more  sense  than  to  insist  on  any  unrea- 
sonable distinction  ;"  for,  though  he  had  his  commis- 
sion from  the  king,  and  a  wide  difference,  so  far  as 
salary  was  concerned,  existed  between  them  and  the  pro- 
vincials, yet  the  latter  were  as  loyal  to  their  sovereign, 
"  and  as  willing  to  sacrifice  their  lives  for  their  coun- 
try's good  as  the  others."  Washington's  early  mili- 
tary instructor,  Adjutant  Muse,  was  made  major  of  a 
regiment,  and  brought  with  him  nine  swivels  and  a 
supply  of  ammunition.  Montour,  the  Indian  interpre- 
ter, now  a  provincial  captain,  accompanied  him.  Mr. 
Gist  was  ordered  to  bring  on  the  artillery,  and  sixty 
horses  were  sent  to  Will's  Creek  for  the  transportation 
of  more  provisions. 

Washington,  with  great  ceremony,  and  wearing  a 
medal  prepared  by  the  governor  expressly  for  such 
occasions,  distributed  the  presents  and  warapuma 
among  the  Indian  chiefs,  and  decorated  them  and  the 
warriors  with  the  medals  which  their  father,  the  King 
of  England,  had  sent  them.  The  son  of  Queen  All- 
quippa  was  among  them,  and  was  admitted  into  the 
war  counsels  of  the  camp  at  her  request,  receiving 
the  name  of  Fairfax,  while  the  sachem  received  that 
of  Dinwiddie.  The  sachems  returned  the  compli- 
ment, and  named  Washington  Conotaucarious  —  an 
epithet  the  import  of  which  is  now  unknown.  Wash- 
ington, at  the  suggestion  of  William  Fairfax,  had 
public  prayers  read  in  his  camp,  and  performed  the 
office  of  chaplain  with  great  propriety  of  demeanor. 
At  a  later  period,  in  the  struggles  of  the  colonies  for  na- 
tional existence,  he  prohibited  profane  swearing;  and 
we  shall  find  him,  on  another  occasion,  bowing  the 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  67 

knee  before  his  Maker,  and  invoking  the  Divine  di- 
rection. Some  French  deserters  informed  him  that 
the  fort  at  the  fork  was  at  length  completed,  and  waa 
called  Duquesne,  in  honor  of  the  Canadian  governor; 
that  it  was  garrisoned  with  five  hundred  men,  a  re- 
inforcement of  two  hundred  was  expected,  and  in  a 
fortnight  nine  hundred  more;  and  that  it  was  proof 
against  all  attacks,  except  that  of  bombs  discharged 
from  the  land  side. 

Washington  manifested  the  utmost  discretion  in 
not  coming  into  collision  with  Captain  Maekay  on 
any  matter  involving  military  authority,  and  wrote  to 
Dinwiddie  to  prescribe  minute]}7  their  relative  posi- 
tions. The  captain's  men,  on  the  march  to  Redstone 
Creek,  would  not  be  permitted  by  him  to  work  on 
the  road,  unless  they  received  a  shilling  sterling  a 
day;  and  as  Washington  would  not  pay  this  sum,  he 
undertook  to  finish  the  road  with  his  own  men,  and 
left  the  captain  and  his  force  as  a  guard  at  Fort  Ne- 
cessity. With  great  perseverance  and  diligent  labor, 
warily  guarding  against  surprise,  the  advance  was 
gradually  made,  and  the  road  constructed.  At  Gist's 
establishment,  thirteen  miles  from  Fort  Necessity,  he 
was  informed  that  ample  reinforcements  had  been 
sent  to  Duquesne,  and  that  a  detachment  would  be 
dispatched  against  him.  lie  at  once  halted,  in- 
trenched, called  in  the  foraging  parties,  and  requested 
Maekay  to  join  him  as  soon  as  possible.  On  his  arri- 
val he  summoned  a  council  of  war,  in  which  it  was 
agreed  that  a  retreat  should  be  made  immediately. 
Washington  gave  up  his  horse,  on  this  occasion,  to 
assist  in  transporting  heavy  munitions  of  war;  and 


68  THELIFEANDTIMES 

he  paid  the  soldiers  for  carrying  his  own  baggage. 
The  officers  followed  his  example ;  and  in  a  sultry 
day,  the  roads  being  rough,  and  the  men  subsisting  on 
short  commons,  pinched  with  hunger,  they  received 
no  aid  from  the  captain's  men,  the  "king's  soldiers," 
who  would  render  no  assistance  in  the  labors  of  the 
retreat.  They  reached  Great  Meadows  on  the  1st  of 
July,  and  here  the  exhausted  Virginians  could  carry 
the  baggage  and  swivels  no  further.  An  intrench- 
ment  then  was  made ;  reinforcements  were  sent  for 
from  Will's  Creek,  and  supplies  of  provisions  pro- 
cured. 

Captain  de  Villiers,  brother-in-law  of  Jumonville, 
had  sallied  from  Fort  Duquesne  with  five  hundred 
French  and  several  hundred  Indians,  intent  on  re- 
venge and  slaughter.  He  fired  into  the  works  of 
Washington  at  Gist's  settlement,  and  finding  them 
empty  was  about  to  return,  when  a  deserter  told  him 
that  the  troops  of  Washington  were  in  a  starving 
condition  at  Great  Meadows.  He  then  immediately 
advanced  thither.  During  this  interval  Washington 
•was  doing  his  utmost  to  fortify  Fort  Necessity,  which 
had  not  been  done  by  Maekay  and  his  men.  Trenches 
and  palisades  protected  it,  and  its  dimensions  were 
one  hundred  feet  square,  in  a  level,  grassy  plain  near 
thje  middle  of  the  Great  Meadows.  It  was  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  yards  wide,  and  a  breastwork  was 
erected  by  the  soldiers,  inspirited  by  the  exertions 
and  example  of  their  chief;  who,  in  this  moment  of 
peril,  asked  no  aid  of  the  South  Carolina  men,  but 
himself  assisted  in  felling  trees,  hewing  branches,  and 
piling  up  the  trunks  as  a  bulwark  against  the  ap- 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  69 

preaching  enemy.  The  Indian  allies  at  this  critical 
moment  abandoned  him,  being  offended  at  their  sub- 
jection to  command,  disheartened  at  the  feeble  pre- 
parations, and  because  their  chief  was  not  sufficiently 
consulted.  Their  real  motive  was  to  put  their  fami- 
lies in  a  more  secure  retreat.  A  wounded  sentinel  in- 
formed the  troops  that  the  French  were  upon  them. 
Washington  drew  up  his  men  on  level  ground,  and 
musketry  was  soon  heard  at  a  distance.  He  fell  back 
into  the  trenches,  and  ordered  his  men  to  fire  as  soon 
as  they  could  see  the  foe.  Thus  an  irregular  skir- 
mishing was  kept  up  during  that  day.  Under  the 
cover  of  the  woods,  the  French  continued  to  fire  at 
the  distance  of  sixty  yards.  The  rain  also  fell  rapidly, 
and  rendered  the  guns  in  many  cases  unfit  for  use, 
dispiriting  and  half  drowning  the  men.  At  8  o'clock 
in  the  evening  the  French  asked  a  parley,  and  fearing 
that  it  might  be  merely  to  examine  the  fort,  "Washing- 
ton at  first  hesitated.  The  request  was  again  made ; 
and  it  was  desired  that  an  officer,  under  their  pro- 
mise of  safety,  might  be  sent  to  them.  Jacob  Van 
Braam  was  the  only  one  who  could  perform  the  ser- 
vice, as  the  engineer,  Chevalier  de  Peronney,  who  waa 
familiar  with  French,  was  then  disabled  by  wounds. 
The  terms  of  surrender,  twice  brought  by  Van  Braam, 
were  rejected;  and  the  third  time  he  came  with  writ- 
ten articles  in  French,  which,  as  no  writing  materials 
were  to  be  had,  Van  Braam  translated  viva  voce.  The 
rain  still  fell  copiously,  and  he  read  from  a  paper  to 
which  he  held  a  candle,  the  light  of  which  was  al- 
most extinguished  by  the  water.  The  translation 
was  made,  one  article  after  another,  in  the  presence 


70  THELIPEANDTIMES 

of  "Washington  and  his  officers,  who  endeavored  to 
unravel  the  meaning  from  the  imperfect  English  of 
the  captain.  A  clause  by  which  it  was  stipulated 
that  all  the  military  stores  and  arms  were  to  remain 
in  the  possession  of  the  French,  was  objected  to  and 
changed.  The  chief  articles,  as  understood  by  "Wash- 
ington  and  his  officers,  were,  that  no  annoyance  on 
the  part  of  the  French  or  Indians  would  obstruct  their 
return  to  the  settlements,  and  that  they  should  retire 
with  the  honors  of  war,  and  take  everything  with 
them  but  the  artillery,  which  should  be  destroyed; 
that  their  effects  should  be  left  at  some  secret  place 
until  sent  for;  that  they  should  promise,  on  their 
honor,  not  to  construct  any  buildings  or  improve- 
ments on  the  land  of  the  King  of  France  during  one 
year;  that  the  prisoners  should  be  restored,  and  that 
till  then  Van  Braam  and  Stobe  should  remain  as 
hostages.  Washington  agreed  to  these  terms,  and 
his  men  accordingly  retired  with  the  honors  of  war ; 
but  had  scarcely  begun  their  march  when  the  Indians 
began  to  annoy  them.  He  sent  a  few  men  after  seve- 
ral stragglers  who  had  been  wounded,  and  remained 
at  Fort  Necessity,  near  which  he  encamped.  In  the 
engagement  which  had  taken  place,  twelve  men  were 
killed,  and  forty-three  wounded,  out  of  three  hundred 
and  five,  officers  included.  The  number  of  killed 
and  wounded  in  Mackay's  company  is  unknown. 
The  loss  of  French  and  Indians  is  supposed  to  have 
been  far  more  considerable. 

The  fatigued  and  disheartened  troops,  encouraged 
by  Washington,  at  length  reached  Will's  Creek,  and 
there  found  abundant  provisions  and  military  stores. 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  71 

Here  he  left  them ;  and  in  company  with  Mackay, 
proceeded  to  the  governor  at  Williamsburg,  to  render 
his  military  report.    The  Virginia  House  of  Burgesses 
returned  a  vote   of  thanks  to  Washington  and  his 
officers  for  their  bravery,  and  gallant  defence  of  their 
country;  and  a  distribution  of  eleven  hundred  dol- 
lars was  made  to  the  privates  in  the  expedition.    Major 
Stobe  and  Jacob  Van  Braam  were  excepted  from  the 
vote  of  thanks ;   the  former  on  the  charge  of  cow- 
ardice, the  latter  on  account  of  his  misrepresentation 
as  an  interpreter.     Crogan  and  Montour  were  found 
to  be  different  from  what  they  pretended.     The  two, 
with  all  their  boasting,  had  not  sent  thirty  warriors 
into  the  camp  as  fighting  men.     Such  was  the  begin- 
ning   of   Washington's    military   career.      He   had 
brought  his  first  campaign  to  a  close,  and  had  dis- 
played the  prudence,  address,  and  courage  of  a  vete- 
ran   commander.      Amid    dangers    and    sufferings 
scarcely  ever  exceeded,  he  had  both  gained  the  es- 
teem and  secured  the  obedience  of  the  soldiers,  undei 
the  most  trying  and  perilous  circumstances. 


T2  THH    LIFE    AND     TIMES 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

OOVERNOR  DINWIDDIE    AND    HIS    VIEWS    OF    THE    WAR DIFFICULTIES! 

WITH  THE  ASSEMBLY — GRANTS  FROM  ENGLAND,  AND  CHANGES  IN 
THE  ARMY WASHINGTON  THROWS  UP  HIS  COMMISSION — HIS  RETIRE- 
MENT TO  MOUNT  VERNON WAR  BETWEEN  THE  ENGLISH  AND  FRENCH 

BRITISH  PLAN  OF  THE  CAMPAIGN GENERAL  BRADDOCK  APPOINTED 

COMMANDER COMMODORE  KEPPEL  AND  HIS  SQUADRON THE  EFFECT 

OF  WARLIKE  PREPARATIONS  ON  WASHINGTON HE  JOINS  THE  STAFF 

OF  BRADDOCK HIS  FLATTERING   RECEPTION,  AND  APPRECIATION  BY 

THE  GOVERNORS  IN  CONGRESS PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  EXPEDITION 

— MEETING  OF  OFFICERS  AT  ALEXANDRIA SIR  JOHN    ST.  CLAIR  AND 

HIS  THREATS THEIR  EFFECTS GEORGE  CROGAN  AND  HIS  INFLU- 
ENCE  CAPTAIN  JACK. 

THE  French  having  relaxed  their  efforts  at  Fort 
Duquesne,  a  letter  was  conveyed  by  an  Indian  to  the 
commander  of  the  English,  to  say  that  two  hundred 
men  were  there,  and  as  many  expected  ;  that  detach- 
ments of  men  and  Indians  had  been  sent  off,  and  all 
that  remained  in  the  fort  were  Contrecoeur  and  the 
guard  of  forty  men  and  five  officers;  that  a  hundred 
Shawnees,  Mingoes,  and  Delawares  could  surprise  and 
take  the  guard,  and,  by  shutting  the  sally-gates,  render 
the  fort  certain  of  being  captured.  This  letter  waa 
sent  to  Crogan,  who  dispatched  it  to  the  Governor  of 
Pennsylvania^  by  whom  it  was  sent  to  Governor  Din- 
widdie.  The  latter  entertained  the  wild  project  of 
taking  the  fort.  He  therefore  wrote  to  Washington, 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  73 

who  early  in  the  month  of  August  had  joined  his 
regiment,  and  assisted  in  the  erection  of.  Fort  Cum- 
berland, to  march  to  Will's  Creek,  and  leave  word 
for  the  officers  to  follow  as  soon  as  they  had  obtained  a 
complement  of  men.  Such  a  scheme,  at  that  season 
of  the  year,  and  under  such  circumstances,  was  known 
by  Washington  to  be  perfectly  chimerical ;  and  his 
letter  to  a  member  of  the  House  of  Burgesses  at  this 
time,  which  doubtless  Dinwiddie  read,  had  the  effect 
of  causing  him  to  give  up  the  rash  undertaking. 

Dinwiddie  was  entirely  ignorant  of  military  affairs. 
Some  of  the  North  Carolina  troops  having  found 
none  of  the  necessary  supplies  when  they  reached 
Winchester,  at  once  disbanded  and  went  home.  The 
House  of  Burgesses  were  dilatory  in  granting  sup- 
plies; and  they  thought  the  best  way  would  be,  to 
have  such  contributions  furnished  by  act  of  Parlia- 
ment, as  were  necessary  to  arrest  the  advance  of  the 
French ;  and  also  by  imposing  a  poll-tax  of  two  and 
sixpence  a  head,  independently  of  the  Assembly. 
Certain  grants  were  made  by  the  House  of  Burgesses 
in  October,  1754,  for  the  public  service ;  an  allowance 
of  twenty  thousand  pounds ;  and  half  that  sum,  with 
arms  for  the  troops,  were  sent  from  England. 

As  difficulties  had  often  occurred  in  reference  to 
military  precedence,  among  troops  of  various  kinds, 
the  governor  reduced  them  all  to  companies,  in  such 
a  manner  that  no  officer  in  a  regiment  was  higher 
in  rank  than  a  captain.  Washington  therefore  left 
the  service ;  and  soon  afterward  Governor  Sharpe,  of 
Maryland,  desired  to  secure  his  assistance.  He  sent  a 
spirited  letter  to  Colonel  Fitzhugh,  exhibiting  hi* 
7 


74  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

views  of  military  matters,  and  his  disinclination  to 
hold  a  commission  inferior  to  that  which  he  held  be- 
fore. About  this  period  an  order  came  from  England 
which  commanded  the  officers  who  bore  the  king's 
commission  to  take  precedence  in  rank  over  those 
who  were  commissioned  by  the  governors  of  the  pro- 
vinces ;  and  provided  that,  when  serving  with  a  gene- 
ral and  field-officers  commissioned  by  the  king,  the 
general  and  field-officers  of  the  provinces  should  give 
them  the  precedence.  These  arrangements  did  much 
to  prepare  the  way  for  colonial  rebellion  and  subse- 
quent independence.  Washington  was  much  mortified 
by  Dinwiddie's  refusal  to  give  up  the  French  prisoners 
as  had  been  stipulated ;  and  when  visiting  Williams- 
burg,  was  grieved  to  find  La  Force  in  prison.  His 
remonstrance  was  lost  on  the  obstinate  Dinwiddie, 
who  would  not  liberate  the  captives.  La  Force  after- 
ward broke  prison,  and  escaped  about  thirty  miles 
from  Williamsburg.  Asking  a  countryman  how  far  it 
was  to  Fort  Duquesne,  he  was  betrayed,  brought 
back,  and  chained  in  a  dungeon.  All  this  operated  in- 
juriously on  Stobe  and  Van  Braam,  who  were  also 
in  durance.  Stobe  ultimately  escaped  into  the  coun- 
try ;  but  Van  Braam,  who  likewise  fled,  was  conducted 
back,  and  afterward  shipped  to  England. 

Washington,  on  resigning  his  connection  with  the 
army,  paid  a  visit  to  his  mother,  and  rendered  all 
the  service  in  his  power  to.  her  and  his  family,  faith- 
fully discharging  the  duties  devolving  on  him.  He 
then  gave  himself  up  entirely  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits, at  his  beautiful  estate  of  Mount  Vernon  ;  but 
his  country  called  him  again  to  arms,  and  she  never 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  75 

uttered  her  voice  to  him  in  vain.  The  French  am- 
bassador,  the  Marquis  de  Mirepois,  had  not  been  de- 
ceived by  the  vain  dissimulation  of  the  British  minis- 
try, and  he  returned  indignantly  to  France.  It  was 
found  that  war  was  inevitable  between  the  French 
and  English ;  and  in  1755  a  plan  of  campaign  was 
devised  by  the  Government  of  Great  Britain,  having 
a  fourfold  object  in  view;  namely,  to  expel  the 
French  from  Nova  Scotia,  to  dislodge  them  from 
Crown  Point  on  Lake  Champlain,  from  the  fort 
erected  on  Niagara,  and  to  drive  them  from  the  fron- 
tiers of  Pennsylvania,  as  well  as  to  recover  possession 
of  the  valley  of  the  Ohio. 

The  Duke  of  Cumberland  was  comrnancler-in-chief 
of  the  British  army  at  that  time ;  and  by  him  Major- 
General  Edward  Braddock  was  appointed  generalis- 
simo of  the  American  forces  against  the  French.  This 
officer  was  a  veteran,  and  the  d-uke  considered  him  as 
admirably  fitted  for  the  post,  us  he  was  an  excellent 
tactician — which,  however,  was  a  different  species  of 
qualification  from  that  required  of  a  commander  in  a 
new  and  unsettled  country.  General  Braddock  was 
faultless  on  parade,  a  brave  officer,  and  an  experi- 
enced soldier;  but  one  of  his  defects  was  an  unbending 
obstinacy  and  pertinacity  of  purpose.  He  was,  how- 
ever, appointed  to  command  the  expedition  which 
was  the  most  important  of  all  the  campaigns  that 
were  destined  to  be  fought  on  the  frontiers  of  Vir- 
ginia and  Pennsylvania.  The  quartermaster-general, 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Sir  John  St.  Clair,  had  studied 
the  field  of  operations  before  the  arrival  of  Braddock. 
The  road,  which  lay  through  the  region  where  Wash 


76  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

ington  had  already  campaigned,  seemed  to  him  to  be 
almost  impassable  by  an  army  ;  and  he  wrote  to  Gov- 
ernor Morris,  of  Pennsylvania,  to  have  the  road  cut 
or  repaired  to  the  head  of  the  Youghiogeny,  and 
another  opened  from  Philadelphia  to  aid  the  trans- 
portation of  supplies  for  the  army.  The  governor 
applied  to  the  Assembly,  and  had  a  commission  ap- 
pointed to  make  a  survey,  at  the  head  of  which  was 
the  Indian  trader,  George  Crogan.  Commodore 
Keppel,  with  his  -squadron  of  two  ships-of-war,  and 
several  transports,  had  anchored  in  the  Chesapeake ; 
the  land  forces  which  they  brought  consisted  of  two 
regiments  of  five  hundred  men  each,  a  train  of  artil- 
lery, and  the  necessary  munitions  of  war.  The  regi- 
ments were  commanded,  the  one  by  Sir  Peter  Halket, 
the  other  by  Colonel  Dunbar;  and  they  were  to  be 
increased  to  seven  hundred  men  by  the  addition  of 
Virginia  companies  which  had  been  enlisted.  Alex- 
andria was  the  place  of  rendezvous  for  the  ships  and 
levies.  Indian  allies  were  to  be  employed,  and  Mr.  Gist 
led  General  Braddock  to  believe  that  four  hundred 
Indians  would  join  him  at  Fort  Cumberland.  Sir 
John  St.  Clair  had  contracted  with  the  settlers  at  the 
foot  of  Blue  Ridge  for  two  hundred  wagons  and 
fifteen  hundred  horses,  to  be  ready  at  Fort  Cum- 
berland early  in  May ;  and  Governor  Sharpe  was 
to  send  a  hundred  wagons.  Keppel  furnished  four 
cannon  for  the  attack  of  the  fort,  and  thirty  seamen; 
and  all  the  arrangements,  according  to  Captain  Ro- 
bert Orme,  an  aid-de-camp  of  Braddock,  seemed  to 
promise  the  greatest  success. 

General  Braddock  having  proceeded  to  Alexandria, 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  77 

found  the  Virginia  levies  arrived,  and  the  troops  dis- 
embarked.   The  sounds  of  warlike  preparation  roused 
the  martial   spirit  of  Washington,   in   the   peaceful 
shades  of  Mount  Vernon  ;  and  he  felt  an  ardent  de- 
sire to  join  the  expedition  as  a  volunteer.     This  dis- 
position reached  the  ears  of  General  Braddock,  who 
had  been  informed  of  his  merits ;  and  he  directed 
Captain  Robert  Orme  to  invite  "Washington  to  join, 
his  staff;  who  wrote  in  such  a  generous  and  kindly 
spirit  to  him,  that  it  created  a  friendly  feeling  between 
them  ever  afterward.     The  appointment  offered  no 
command  nor  emolument,  and  required  a  good  deal 
of  expense  and  self-sacrifice ;  nevertheless,  it  would 
obviate   the   disputed    questions    of   military   rank, 
gratify  his  passion  for  arms,  and  give  him  practical 
experience  in  a  well-organized  corps,  admirably  dis- 
ciplined, and  under  a  skilled  tactician.     His  mother 
did  her  utmost  to  prevail  on  him  to  decline  the  ser- 
vice, and  having  ascertained  his  value  at  home,  de- 
sired him  not  to  expose  himself  to  danger;  but  with 
all  his  respect  for  her,  he  could  not  resist  the  appeal 
to  his  warlike  sympathies.    He  reached  the  head-quar- 
ters of  General  Braddock  at  Alexandria,  where  he 
was  heartily  welcomed  by  his  young  associates,  Cap- 
tains Orme  and  Morris,  aides-de-camp  of  the  general. 
Washington  was  pleased  with  the  flattering  recep- 
tion he  received  from  the  general ;  and  found  him 
honorable  and  generous,  though  haughty  and  obsti- 
nate, and  in  matters  of  military  discipline  very  exact. 
Four  governors  were  then  assembled  at  Alexandria, 
representing   Massachusetts,   New  York,    Maryland, 
and  Pennsylvania;  and  Washington  was  highly  ap- 
7*  " 


78  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

predated  by  them  all.  In  a  grand  council  held  on 
April  14th,  1755,  the  general's  commission  was  read, 
and  his  instructions  from  the  king  in  reference  to  the 
necessary  fund  for  the  expenses  of  the  war.  The  gov- 
ernors found  it  impracticable  to  obtain  any  such  fund 
from  their  assemblies,  having  tried  the  experiment 
in  vain  ;  and  they  gave  it  as  their  opinion  that  the 
preparations  for  military  expenses  in  America  could  not 
be  had  without  the  aid  of  Parliament;  they  suggested 
that  the  ministers  should  find  some  way  of  compelling 
contributions  ;  and  in  the  meantime,  that  the  general 
should  use  his  credit  with  Government  to  obtain 
means  for  current  expenses  to  carry  through  the  ex- 
pedition. The  congress  closed,  and  but  few  wagons 
had  arrived.  Recollecting  the  difficulties  of  the  way, 
the  huge  preparations  of  war,  and  the  heavy  mate- 
rials which  were  to  be  transported  across  the  moun- 
tains, Washington  was  struck  with  wonder  and  dis- 
may. "  If  our  march  be  regulated  by  the  slow  move- 
ments of  the  train,"  said  he,  "it  will  be  tedious,  very 
tedious  indeed."  He  was  in  the  right;  but  Braddock 
smiled  sarcastically  at  the  apprehensions  of  the  inex- 
perienced young  officer. 

Sir  John  St.  Clair,  in  the  meantime,  became  in- 
censed because  the  Government  road  had  not  been 
commenced ;  and  declared  that  the  want  of  roads  and 
of  the  provisions  which  had  been  promised  by  Penn- 
sylvania, might  ruin  the  expedition.  He  raved  fu- 
riously, and  threatened  to  burn  the  houses  of  the  inha- 
bitants, if  defeated  by  the  French ;  and  declared  that 
he  would  go  through  the  province  with  sword  in 
hand,  and  treat  Pennsylvania  as  a  disaffected  and 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  79 

rebellious  province.  This  ebullition  produced  such  an 
effect  on  the  commissioners,  that  they  wrote  to  Gov- 
ernor Morris,  urging  him  to  set  people  to  work  upon 
the  road,  and  send  flour  to  the  mouth  of  the  Canaco- 
cheague  River;  and  in  reply,  by  his  secretary,  the 
orders  were  given  to  proceed,  adding  that  the  ex- 
penses should  be  paid  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  As- 
sembly. George  Crogan  was,  in  the  meantime,  commis- 
sioned to  convene  at  Aughquick,  in  Pennsylvania,  all 
the  mixed  tribes  of  the  Ohio,  to  distribute  wampum 
belts  among  them,  and  induce  them  to  join  General 
Braddock  on  his  march.  Crogan  engaged  to  enlist 
a  large  number  of  Indians ;  and  he  secured  the  ser- 
vices of  a  resolute  band  of  hunters,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Captain  Jack.  This  person  was  a  remark- 
able character,  who  had  been  a  captive  among  the 
Indians  for  many  years,  knew  their  customs,  was  re- 
garded as  one  of  themselves,  and  whose  name  in- 
spired terror  into  their  minds.  He  promised  to  join 
the  forces  of  Braddock  on  the  march,  and  Crogan 
engaged  to  attend  in  3ompany  with  them. 


80  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 


CHAPTER  IX. 

CU5NERAL  BRADDOCK  —  HIS  DIFFICULTIES  ABOUT  MEANS  OF  TRANSPOR- 
TATION— ASSISTED  BY  BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN — DR.  HUGH  MERCER- 
CAPTAIN  GATES — THE  ROADS — SIR  JOHN  ST.  CLAIR — PATRIOTISM  OP 
WASHINGTON — HE  IS  SEIZED  WITH  A  VIOLENT  FEVER — HE  RECOVERS 
-REACHES  THE  CAMP  —  PLAN  OF  ATTACK  ON  FORT  DUQUESNE  — 
WASHINGTON'S  ADVICE — BLIND  OBSTINACY  OF  BRADDOCK — RUINOUS 
CONSEQUENCES  —  DUNBAR  —  DEFEAT  AND  DEATH  OF  GENERAL  BRAD« 
DOCK — THE  AGGRAVATED  DISGRACE — EXULTATION  OF  CONTREOEUR. 

VERT  great  inconvenience  was  experienced  by 
General  Braddock,  in  consequence  of  the  failure  of 
the  Virginians  to  fulfil  their  contracts.  He  had  the 
good  fortune,  however,  to  meet  with  Benjamin  Frank- 
lin, who  had  been  sent  out  by  the  Assembly  of  Penn- 
sylvania, ostensibly  in  the  capacity  of  postmaster  for 
the  transmission  of  letters  between  the  general  and 
provincial  governors,  but  in  reality  to  make  an  at- 
tempt to  remove  the  impression  which  he  entertained 
of  their  being  opposed  to  the  war,  as  they  had  neglected 
to  fulfil  his  orders.  Franklin  undertook  to  procure 
wagons  for  the  expedition,  and  a  contract  was  made 
with  him  for  four  hundred  and  fifty  conveyances,  with 
four  horses  for  each  of  them,  and  for  fifteen  hun- 
dred pack-horses.  The  patriotic  Franklin,  with  that 
promptness  for  which  he  was  remarkable,  obtained 
the  wagons  on  his  own  responsibility  from  the  Penn- 
sylvania farmers,  and  they  arrived  in  due  time;  when 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  8J 

General  Braddock  remarked,  that  that  was  the  only 
instance  in  which  he  had  not  experienced  deceit 
and  slavery  on  the  part  of  the  colonists.  Franklin, 
in  his  autobiography,  makes  mention  of  the  blind 
confidence  with  which  Braddock  hoped  to  take 
Duquesne,  Niagara,  and  Frontenac;  for  he  did  not 
think  the  first  would  detain  him  over  four  days,  at  the 
furthest. 

That  officer  entertained  no  conception  of  the  diffi- 
culties of  such  a  march,  through  a  wild  country,  with 
hostile  Indians  on  every  side,  with  so  much  bag- 
gage and  with  so  many  superfluities.  Indeed,  Wash- 
ington, who  had  joined  him  at  Fredericktown,  and 
was  appointed  one  of  his  aides-de-camp,  assured  him 
of  the  great  hardships  which  must  be  suffered  in  an 
attempt  to  cross  the  mountains  in  carriages.  He 
advised  him  to  use  pack-horses ;  and  declared  that  the 
most  hazardous  part  of  the  expedition  would  consist 
in  the  transportation.  Braddock,  however,  persisted 
in  his  own  opinions.  The  general  cut  a  dashing 
figure,  with  his  chariot,  and  his  body-guard  galloping 
in  attendance;  but  he  soon  found  that  it  would  not 
answer,  and  then  gave  them  up.  On  the  19th  of  May 
the  arrival  of  levies  swelled  the  force  to  fourteen  hun- 
dred men,  besides  two  provincial  companies,  number- 
ing thirty  men  each.  Captain  Stewart  commanded 
the  Virginia  light-horse ;  and  one  of  those  who  com- 
manded two  companies  was  Horatio  Gates,  in  the 
capacity  of  a  captain.  Drs.  Hugh  Mercer  and  James 
Craik  were  attached  to  the  expedition. 

At  Fort  Cumberland  Washington  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  seeing  a  fully  disciplined  army,  and  the 


82  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

mode  of  camp  life.  The  army  lay  at  the  fort  for  some 
time,  detained  by  the  want  of  supplies,  and  because 
the  roads  were  not  yet  completed.  Mr.  Peters  re- 
quired guards  to  protect  him  from  the  Indians,  in 
making  the  road  to  Philadelphia.  But  the  general 
could  not  see  the  necessity  for  them ;  nevertheless, 
guards  were  at  length  found  to  be  indispensable. 
The  Indian  reinforcements  so  confidently  expected 
never  arrived;  and  Crogan  brought  but  fifty  warriors 
from  Aughquick.  These  were  treated  liberally,  and 
presents  were  made  them ;  all  went  well  for  a  time, 
but  the  warriors  had  brought  their  families  with  them, 
and  the  women  were  fond  of  loitering  about  the  camp. 
Some  of  these  were  possessed  of  considerable  charms, 
and  the  officers  were  said  "to  be  scandalously  fond 
of  them."  Jealousies  at  length  arose,  and  the  squaws 
were  prohibited  from  approaching  the  camp;  but  this 
precaution  was  not  sufficient,  and  they  had  to  be  sent 
back  to  Aughquick.  Several  warriors  went  with 
them,  and  the  three  Delaware  chiefs  returned  to  the 
Ohio.  "Washington  had  been  told  by  Crogan  that 
the  warriors  deserted  because  they  were  slighted  in 
not  being  employed ;  but  the  governor  was  pertina- 
cious, and  adhered  to  his  own  opinion,  in  spite  of  all 
the  representations  which  were  made  him.  Frequent 
disputes  had  arisen  between  the  general  and  Wash- 
ington, on  account  of  the  former  representing  that 
the  army  contractors  were  without  honor,  in  conse- 
quence of  their  having  failed  in  fulfilling  their  under- 
takings, and  he  applied  the  same  stigma  to  the  coun- 
try at  large. 

Washington  was  seized  with  a  violent  fever  on  the 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  83 

third  day  of  the  march ;  so  that  he  was  compelled  to 
ride  in  a  covered  wagon.     The  general  consulted  him 
in  private,  and  then  he  urged  him  to  leave  the  bag- 
gage and  heavy  artillery  behind,  with  a  body  of  troops ; 
and  to  send  a  number  of  pieces  of  light  artillery,  with 
some   chosen   soldiers,  to   make  an  attack  on  Fort 
Duquesne.     In  support  of  this  advice,  he  represented 
that  the  French  were  then  very  weak  on  the  Ohio, 
but  were  expecting  additional  troops  daily.     He  as- 
serted that  a  rapid  movement  might  enable  them  to 
curry  the  fort ;  but,  if  the  army  were  to  remain  toge- 
ther, the  march  would  be  delayed,  the  rains  would 
make  the  roads  impassable,  the  French  would  be  rein- 
forced, and  the  contest  would  become  involved  in  doubt 
and  hazard.    The  general  approved  of  the  advice.    In 
a  council  of  war,  it  was  resolved  that  twelve  hundred 
men,  headed  by  Braddock,  should  assault  Fort  Du- 
quesne, while  the  rest  of  the  regulars,  and  the  heavy 
baggage,  should  proceed  under  Colonel  Dunbar.    At 
the  great  crossings  of  the  Youghiogeny,  the  illness  of 
Washington  prevented  him  from  going  further,  as  the 
physician  thought  it  would  be  attended  with  danger  to 
his  life.     "With  great  reluctance  he  obeyed  the  com- 
mand of  the  general  to  remain  where  he  then  was,  and 
he  gave  him  his  word  of  honor  that  he  should  be  able 
to  rejoin  the  army  before  it  reached  the  fort.     Orme 
promised  to  inform  him  by  letter  of  all  that  passed  in 
the  meanwhile.     The  faithful  servant  of  Washington, 
John  Alten,  was  also  taken  ill  at  the  same  time ; 
which  added  to  his  annoyance,  as  he  was  unable  to 
render  his   master   any  assistance   in  his   sickness. 
Washington  joined  the  general,  however,  in  a  covered 


84  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

wagon,  the  day  before  the  battle  on  the  Monongahela, 
and,  though  he  was  yet  very  weak,  assumed  the  duties 
of  his  position.  To  obtain  a  plan  of  attack,  the  sur- 
rounding country  had  been  reconnoitred.  The  fort 
and  camp  were  on  the  same  side  of  the  river,  but  an 
interval  of  two  miles  was  between  them.  The  Monon- 
gahela was  on  the  left,  and  on  the  right  a  mountain 
of  considerable  altitude.  The  route  selected  was  to 
cross  the  river  opposite  the  camp,  pursue  for  about 
five  miles  the  western  bank  of  the  river,  cross  it  to 
the  eastern  side,  and  march  on  the  fort.  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Gage  was  to  cross,  advance  to  the  second  ford, 
and  recrossing,  protect  the  main  army  in  its  pas- 
sage. Washington  rejoiced  to  behold  a  splendid  army 
arrayed  in  the  glittering  panoply  of  war;  and  as  he 
gazed  upon  it,  it  inspired  him  with  new  life  and  vigor, 
and  his  ailments  were  forgotten. 

The  advance  under  Colonel  Gage  crossed  on  the  9th 
of  July,  1775,  before  daybreak.  Sir  John  St.  Clair, 
with  two  hundred  and  fifty  men,  with  implements 
and  two  six-pounders,  followed  to  prepare  the  way  for 
the  artillery  and  baggage.  All  at  length  had  crossed, 
and  the  army  waited  at  a  small  stream  called  Frazier's 
Run,  for  the  general  to  dispose  the  troops  in  order  of 
march.  Gage  was  ordered  to  lead  the  advance;  St. 
Clair,  the  working-party  and  the  six-pounders;  and 
the  general  was  to  bring  up  the  main  body;  while 
the  Virginian  troops  were  to  form  the  rear.  Half  a 
mile  from  the  river  the  ground  was  covered  with  grass 
and  low  bushes,  with  no  opening  except  the  road, 
flanked  by  the  deep  dells,  hid  by  thickets  and  um- 
brageous trees. 


OF    GEOKGE    WASHINGTON.  85 

Washington  had  desired  the  general  to  send  for- 
ward the  Virginia  rangers,  or  Indian  scouts,  to  ex- 
plore the  vicinity ;  but  he  persisted  in  his  own  plan 
of  operations,  and  rejected  the  counsel.  The  result 
was  as  might  have  been  expected.  When  about  to 
join  the  main  body,  the  advance  had  been  fired  into, 
and  fiercely  attacked.  Succor  was  sent -on  to  them, 
by  the  vanguard  of  about  eight  hundred  men.  The 
rest,  four  hundred  in  number,  protected  the  baggage. 
Fearful  yells  now  resounded  through  the  forest,  amid 
continual  discharges  of  fire-arms.  The  advance  had 
been  attacked  by  French  and  Indians.  The  French 
commander  fell,  but  the  rifle  of  the  Indian  was  at 
work ;  and  the  grenadiers  were  either  killed,  or  driven 
back  in  confusion  on  Gage's  men,  who  were  ordered 
to  fix  bayonets  and  prepare  for  battle.  The  savages, 
uttering  horrible  yells,  fired  in  safety  from  the  ravines, 
and  it  could  only  be  known  where  they  lurked  from 
the  smoke  of  their  guns.  The  troops  fired  wherever 
they  saw  the  smoke,  and  could  not  be  held  in  re- 
straint, nor  made  to  obey  orders,  being  frightened 
more  by  the  yells  than  by  the  rifles  of  the  invisible 
enemy ;  and  they  continued  shooting  at  random,  by 
which  means  they  produced  but  little  execution.  The 
unequal  contest  became  more  and  more  desperate. 
Many  officers  and  men  fell;  Col.  Gage  was  wounded; 
the  advance  retreated  upon  Sir  John  Glair's  force, 
which  was  equally  panic-stricken ;  and  Col.  Benton 
with  the  reinforcements,  while  drawing  out  his  men, 
could  not  hold  them  in  check.  When  the  retreating 
detachments  fell  upon  them,  they  were  put  to  con- 
fusion. 
8 


86  THE    LIFE_  AND    TIMES 

General  Eraddock  in  vain  endeavored  to  rally  his 
troops,  and  ordered  the  officers  to  marshal  them  in 
small  divisions;  but  the  soldiers  refused  to  obey, 
while  the  Virginia  troops,  from  behind  the  trees,  imi- 
tating the  tactics  of  the  foe,  picked  off  many  of  them, 
and  afforded  some  protection  to  the  helpless  regulars. 
Washington  advised  the  general  to  make  the  regu- 
lars pursue  the  same  plan;  but  he  formed  them  into 
platoons,  and  those  of  them  who  fired  from  behind 
the  trees  he  struck  with  the  flat  of  his  sword ;  while 
some  of  the  Virginians  who  fought  from  their  shelter, 
were  shot  by  their  own  soldiers  aiming  wherever  the 
smoke  was  seen  to  arise.  The  most  gallant  bravery 
was  displayed  by  the  English  officers ;  they  dashed 
forward  in  groups  to  inspirit  the  troops;  but  many 
were  shot  down  by  the  savage  enemy,  and  some  even 
by  their  own  men.  The  slaughter  became  dreadful ; 
while  the  yells  of  the  savages  increased  as  they  rushed 
forwardj  brandishing  their  tomahawks,  with  which 
they  scalped  their  miserable  victims.  The  aides-de- 
camp Orme  and  Morris  were  soon  disabled,  and  the 
whole  duty  of  conveying  orders  devolved  upon  Wash- 
ington. He  behaved  with  the  most  consummate 
bravery,  in  the  midst  of  dangers  the  most  imminent 
and  fearful ;  having  had  two  horses  shot  under  him, 
and  his  coat  riddled  with  four  bullets.  Hastening  to 
the  main  body,  to  bring  the  artillery  into  action,  he 
sprang  from  his  horse,  turned  and  pointed  a  field- 
piece  against  the  enemy,  and  directed  its  charge  into 
the  woods.  All  was  in  vain.  The  men  deserted  the 
guns.  Sir  Peter  Halket  was  shot  at.  the  head  of  his 
regiment.  The  unfortunate  Braddock  was  still  in 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  87 

the  centre  of  the  field,  brave  to  the  last;  but  his  for- 
titude was  useless,  and  it  was  impossible  to  retrieve 
the  fortunes  of  the  day.  The  majority  of  the  Vir- 
ginians were  slain ;  the  general's  secretary  fell  at  his 
side;  five  horses  were  shot  under  him ;  and  a  bullet 
pierced  his  arm  and  his  lungs.  At  length  Braddock 
fell  to  the  earth,  and  was  carried  off  the  field  in  a 
tumbril.  The  rout  then  became  general,  and  nothing 
but  the  avarice  of  the  conquerors  detained  the  victo- 
rious savages  from  the  pursuit.  The  army,  thus  dis- 
comfited, continued  its  flight,  until  it  crossed  the 
river. 

Out  of  eighty-six  officers,  twenty-six  were  slain  and 
thirty-six  wounded  ;  and  the  killed  and  wounded,  in 
rank  and  file,  were  not  less  than  seven  hundred.  A 
hundred  men  halted  near  the  ford,  where  the  wounded 
general  lay  with  his  disabled  aides-de-camp  and  seve- 
ral officers,  still  able  to  give  orders,  and  hoping  to 
keep  his  position  till  he  was  reinforced.  Some  of  the 
men  were  advantageously  posted  near  him,  but  most 
of  them  had  deserted  him.  Washington,  in  the  mean- 
time, proceeded  to  the  camp  of  Colonel  Dunbar,  forty 
miles  distant,  to  obtain  the  escort  of  two  companies 
of  grenadiers,  with  wagons,  provisions,  and  hospital 
stores.  When  he  arrived  in  the  camp  he  found  that 
the  evil  tidings  had  preceded  him;  and  as  he  returned 
with  the  convoy  and  supplies,  at  thirteen  miles  dis- 
tance, he  met  Gage  conveying  General  Braddock  and 
the  wounded  officers.  They  rested  one  day  at  Dun- 
bar's  camp,  and  on  the  13th  resumed  the  march,  and 
reached  the  Great  Meadows  the  same  night.  Brad- 


88  THELIFEANDTIMES 

dock  remained  silent  during  the  first  evening,  and 
through  the  day  succeeding  the  battle;  and  only 
uttered  an  occasional  ejaculation  amid  his  agonies. 
He  died  on  the  13th  at  Great  Meadows.  At  that  spot 
he  was  buried  with  funeral  honors;  and  "Washing- 
ton  read  the  burial  service  over  his  grave. 

After  the  funeral  of  General  Braddock,  "Washing- 
ton sent  a  message  to  Fort  Cumberland  to  procure 
horses  for  the  disabled  officers,  and  suitable  quarters 
for  them  on  their  arrival.  He  wrote  meanwhile  to 
his  mother  and  brother,  praising  the  valor  of  the  Vir- 
ginians, and  condemning  the  cowardice  of  the  regu- 
lars. Dunbar  might  have  retrieved  the  day,  having 
had  fifteen  hundred  men  under  his  command  ;  but 
his  camp  became  confused  when  tidings  of  the  defeat 
reached  him  ;  he  destroyed  his  military  stores  to  faci- 
litate his  flight;  and  then  hastened  with  his  retiring 
forces  to  Philadelphia. 

The  field  from  which  "Washington  had  escaped  pre- 
sented an  awful  spectacle ;  the  dead  and  dying  were 
stripped  and  plundered  by  white  and  red  men  alike ; 
and  the  murderous  tomahawk  and  the  scalping-knife 
terminated  many  a  life  which  hung  by  a  thread. 
This  disgraceful  defeat  agreeably  surprised  the  French 
general,  De  Contrecoaur,  who  was  in  transports  at 
the  unexpected  success.  The  force  which  had  been 
sent  out  was  not  the  main  army,  but  consisted  of 
seventy-two  regulars,  a  hundred  and  fifty  Canadians, 
and  six  hundred  savages,  of  whom  Captain  de  Beau- 
jeu  was  the  leader.  The  whole  number  of  slain,  in- 
cluding French  and  Indians,  did  not  exceed  seventy. 


OF    GEOKGE    WASHINGTON.  89 

This  unfortunate  defeat  of  Braddock's  created,  for 
the  first  time,  the  impression  that  British  troops  had 
not  that  irresistible  prowess  which  had  universally 
been  ascribed  to  them ;  and  became  one  of  the  most 
powerful  causes  in  producing  the  steady  and  unflinch- 
ing resistance  made  by  provincial  troops  against  a 
regular  army,  which  afterward  occurred  during  the 
Revolution. 


90  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 


CHAPTER  X. 

WASHINGTON    IN   COMMAND  —  INDIAN    RAVAGES  —  PANIC  AT  WINCHE» 

TER  —  THE     SAVAGES     RETURN    TO   THE   OHIO  —  THE     PATE    OF   THB 

• 

EXPEDITIONS    AGAINST    NIAGARA    AND    CROWN     POINT — MILITARY 

PRECEDENCE  —  THE     DECISION     OF     GENERAL     SHIRLEY EARL     0? 

LOUDOUN —  DANGERS    AT    GREENWAY    COURT  —  GREAT    ALARMS    AT 

WINCHESTER TENDER     SYMPATHIES     OF     WASHINGTON ILLIBE- 

RALITY  OF    THE  VIRGINIA    PRESS  —  ITS   EFFECTS — APPRECIATION  OP 
WASHINGTON    BY   THE     SPEAKER    OF   THE    HOUSE     OF     BURGESSES  — 

PARSIMONY    OF    THE    ASSEMBLIES WASHINGTON'S    ADVICE    ABOUT 

THE    FORTS  —  GREAT    INEFFICIENCY    OF    THE    MILITARY  —  DINWID- 
DIE's   AMBIGUITY  —  FALL   OF   THE   FORT   AT   OSWEGO. 

"WASHINGTON  reached  home  on  the  26th  of  July, 
1755,  having  suffered  much,  both  in  health  and  for- 
tune, by  the  campaign.  He  complained,  in  a  letter 
written  about  this  time,  of  the  ill  success  of  his  former 
expedition ;  in  which,  after  serving  with  zeal,  and 
meeting  with  reverses,  his  commission  was  taken  from 
him  after  his  return ;  that  then,  in  his  second  expedi- 
tion with  Braddock,  he  had  lost  everything.  Little 
did  he  imagine  the  benefit  his  country  should  after- 
ward derive  from  his  experience.  Volunteer  compa- 
nies now  began  to  be  formed,  to  repel  the  hostile  in- 
roads of  the  French  and  Indians ;  and  Washington 
was  again  ready  to  serve  his  country,  but  not  on  the 
same  terms.  He  therefore  received  a  commission,  by 
which  he  was  appointed  commander-iii-chief  of  alj 
the  forces  raised  or  to  be  raised  in  the  colony ;  three 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  91 

hundred  pounds  were  voted  him  on  account  of  his 
late  losses  in  battle  ;  and  in  a  letter  to  his  mother  he 
afterward  expressed  his  zeal  for  the  public  service. 
Governor  Dinwiddie,  it  was  thought,  ceased  to  regard 
Washington  at  this  time  with  friendly  feeling,  on  ac- 
count of  his  popularity  in  obtaining  this  command, 
which  he  had  intended  for  Colonel  Innes ;  and  it  is 
worthy  of  note,  that  Washington  was  honored  with 
this  early  mark  of  the  confidence  of  Virginia,  not 
from  any  splendid  triumph  which  he  had  achieved, 
but  on  account  of  his  persevering  fortitude  amid  re- 
verses, and  for  his  bravery  in  the  time  of  trial;  as 
well  as  for  his  wisdom  in  suggesting  advice  which, 
if  followed,  would  have  saved  the  army. 

Washington  fixed  his  head-quarters  at  Winchester, 
and  here  he  was  brought  again  into  relations  with  Lord 
Fairfax,  lieutenant  of  the  county,  who  had  organized 
a  troop  of  horse,  and  previously  aided  Washington, 
with  his  counsels  and  his  sword.  An  express  arrived, 
that  the  frontier  was  harassed  by  a  body  of  Indians, 
who  were  murdering  the  inhabitants,  approaching 
Winchester,  and  threatening  to  invade  the  valley 
of  the  Shenandoah.  In  the  absence  of  Washington 
at  Williamsburg,  Lord  Fairfax  sent  the  militia  of 
Fairfax  and  King  William's  county  to  the  defence  of 
Winchester.  Washington  soon  returned,  and  had  it 
not  been  that  only  twenty-five  of  the  militia  could  be 
induced  to  march,  would  have  proceeded  at  once  to 
attack  the  savages.  He  met  with  great  difficulties 
from  want  of  co-operation,  and  was  compelled  to  im- 
press wagons  for  the  service  ;  the  military  laws  also 
required  to  be  modified,  but  applications  to  the  gov- 


92  THELIFEANDTIMES 

ernor  for  this  purpose  were  at  that  time  fruitless. 
The  fright  and  panic  at  Winchester  were  intense  be* 
yond  description  ;  the  Indians  were  said  to  be  only 
twelve  miles  distant,  and  the  people  fled  for  their 
lives.  The  most  exaggerated  accounts  were  brought 
in  ;  and  Washington  found,  as  he  sallied  forth  with 
forty  men  and  the  militia,  that  the  whole  alarm  was 
occasioned  by  the  vociferations  and  pistol-firing  of 
three  drunken  troopers,  whom  he  sent  back  as  pri- 
son ers.  The  Indians,  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  in 
number,  being  glutted  with  carnage,  spoils,  and  cap- 
tives, had  returned  to  their  homes  on  the  Ohio,  and 
all  was  again  quiet  on  the  frontiers. 

A  reward  was  offered  by  the  colonial  governor  for  the 
head  of  Shingis,  who  was  said  to  be  the  chief  author 
of  these  ravages ;  but  the  old  sachem  had  been  true 
to  the  cause,  and  Scarooyadi,  his  successor,  imitated 
him  in  his  loyalty  to  his  English  brothers.  Washing- 
ton cultivated  Indian  friendships  as  being  of  immense 
benefit  to  the  service,  without  which  he  felt  himself 
unable  to  cope  with  the  savage  foe. 

About  this  period  Washington  was  informed  of  the 
fate  that  attended  the  other  enterprizes  which  had 
been  undertaken  by  the  English.  That  against  Nia- 
gara failed,  after  the  defeat  of  Braddock.  General 
Shirley,  who  commanded  the  troops,  found  them 
stricken  with  alarm ;  many  of  them  deserted ;  the  long 
autumnal  rains  overtook  and  disheartened  the  remain- 
der ;  and  writh  military  incapacity  the  enterprise  was 
eventually  abandoned.  Seven  hundred  men  were 
left  in  garrison  at  Oswego.  General  Johnson,  with  a 
body  of  six  thousand  New  York  and  New  England 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  93 

troops,  conducted  the  expedition  against  Crown  Point, 
and  marched  as  far  as  Lake  George.     He  was  in- 
formed that  a  French  army,  under  the  Baron  Dieskau, 
was  marching  against  him ;  and  having  erected  a  fort, 
he  sent  forward  one  thousand  men  to   oppose   the 
foe.     The  discharge  of  heavy  musketry  quickly  gave 
evidence  of  an  encounter,  and  the  firing  became  hot- 
ter as  the  men  under  Colonel  Williams  returned  in 
full  retreat.     Soon,  the  fugitives,  pursued  by  the  In- 
dians,  yelling   the   war-whoop,   appeared;   and   the 
camp  was  overwhelmed  with  terror,  when  Dieskau 
was  seen  at  the  head  of  his  forces.     The  artillery  con- 
tinued to  fire  upon  the  French  and  Canadians ;  the 
English  recovered  from  their  panic,  and  did  dreadful 
execution  with   the   artillery  and    small  arms ;   the 
breast-works  were  scaled ;  a  medley  fight  ensued  ; 
the  enemy  were  routed ;  and  the  brave  baron  was 
among  the  slain.     Johnson  was  wounded  in  the  ac- 
tion,  and  did  not  therefore  follow  up  his  victory. 
He   built  a   stockaded   fort,   and  called   it  "William 
Henry ;  but  when  it  was  completed,  it  was  too  late 
to  proceed  against  Crown  Point.     The  English  Gov- 
ernment subsequently  conferred  on  him  a  baronetcy 
and  five  thousand  pounds. 

Thus  ended  all  the  projected  expeditions.  "Wash- 
ington then  devoted  his  attention  to  the  militia  laws, 
and  by  his  efforts  several  important  improvements 
were  made  tending  to  perfect  the  military  discipline 
of  the  troops.  They  were  taught,  also,  to  imitate  the 
Tndian  method  of  fighting;  and  new  roads  were 
opened  for  the  transmission  of  supplies  and  reinforce- 
ments. Questions  of  military  precedence  still  occurred 


94  THELIFEANDTIMES 

to  annoy  Colonel  Washington;  and  a  certain  Captain 
Dagworthy,  a  Maryland  officer  who  had   served  in 
Canada,  who  had  received  a  king's  commission,  but 
had  since  commuted  for  half-pay,  refused  to  obey  the 
orders  of  any  officer,  of  whatever  rank,  who  was  com- 
missioned by  a  provincial  governor.   Differences  arose 
in  consequence  of  this  declaration,  and  Washington  re- 
frained from  mixing  himself  up  with  the  dispute;  but 
he  determined  that,  if  a  Maryland  captain  should  take 
precedence  of  him,  he  would  resign  his  commission. 
The  whole  matter  was  to  be  referred  to  General  Shir- 
ley.   Washington,  accompanied  by  several  officers,  tra- 
velled through  Philadelphia  and  New  York  to  Boston. 
He  was  successful  in  his  mission,  and  Dagworthy  was 
compelled  to  j-ield  the  precedence  to  the  cornmarider- 
in-chief  of  the  Virginia  forces.      Shirley  was   soon 
after  recalled,  being  superseded  by  General  Aber- 
crombie,  who  brought  two  regiments  with  him.     A 
plan  long  since  entered  into  rendered  the  Earl  of 
Loudoun  general  commandantin  America,  with  almost 
vice-regal  power ;  by  which  arrangement,  the  other 
military  men  being  made  subordinate,  the  ministry 
hoped  to  unite  the  colonies  under  military  rule,  and 
compel  the  assemblies  to  contribute  a  common  fund, 
subject  to  the  control  of  one  dictatorial  power. 

The  Earl  of  Loudoun  now  became  Governor  of 
Virginia,  and  colonel  of  the  regiment.  The  campaign 
was  to  commence  in  the  following  spring.  Washing- 
ton was  said  at  this  time  to  have  been  a  suitor  of 
Miss  Phillipse,  who  was  subsequently  married  to  hia 
friend  and  fellow  aide-de-camp,  Captain  Morris.  Ma- 
rauders had  entered  the  valley  of  the  Shenandoah ; 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  95 

persons  had  been  murdered  by  the  Indians  near  Win- 
chester ;  and  it  was  suggested  to  old  Lord  Fairfax 
that  his  abode  at  Greenway  Court  was  no  longer 
secure,  and  that  his  scalp  would  be  particularly  ac- 
ceptable to  the  Indians.  He  would  not  depart,  how- 
ever, and  the  place  was  fortified  by  a  numerous  reti- 
nue of  white  and  black  attendants.  Washington 
found  the  inhabitants  of  Winchester  filled  with  dis- 
may, and  resolved  to  organize  a  company,  and  put 
himself  at  the  head  of  it.  He  sent  to  Fort  Cumber- 
land with  orders  for  a  detachment  from  the  garrison, 
and  complied  with  the  advice  of  Lord  Fairfax,  and 
other  officers,  to  appeal  to  the  patriotism  of  the  men, 
and  thus  procure  musterings  in  private.  Only  fifteen 
persons  of  all  those  enrolled  made  their  appearance  : 
in  the  meantime  the  deepest  alarm  prevailed,  and  the 
forests  could  only  be  traversed  by  experienced  hunters. 
The  captain  of  a  scouting  party  and  ten  men  had 
been  slain  in  the  Warm  Spring  Mountain  ;  and  burn- 
ing houses,  famishing  garrisons,  and  tales  of  massacre 
increased  the  general  horror. 

The  inhabitants  of  Winchester  were  wrought  up  to 
the  highest  pitch  of  terror,  and  in  their  deep  distress 
they  looked  to  Washington  for  relief.  He  was  deeply 
touched  by  this  display  of  feeling.  Women  held  up 
their  children,  and  besought  him  to  save  them;  and 
their  supplicating  sorrow,  with  the  heart-moving  peti- 
tions made  by  the  men,  affected  him  in  such  a  manner 
that  he  declared  he  could  die  a  sacrifice  for  them,  if 
by  so  doing  he  could  secure  their  deliverance.  Yet, 
in  the  midst  of  all  this  alarm,  the  Virginia  news- 
papers, while  amplifying  on  the  frontier  troubles. 


96  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

threw  the  blame  on  the  army,  its  officers,  and  its 
commander.  Such  an  effect  had  this  deep  injustice 
on  the  mind  of  Washington,  that  the  existing  danger 
only  prevented  his  giving  up  his  command.  Some 
complimentary  letters,  however,  were  sent  him ;  the 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Burgesses  recognized  him 
as  being  the  only  person  who  was  able  to  bring  affairs 
to  a  prosperous  issue ;  and  he  desired  him  still  to 
retain  the  command.  The  parsimony  displayed  at 
this  time  by  the  House  was  astonishing.  "When  the 
Assembly  voted  twenty  thousand  pounds,  and  an  ad- 
dition of  fifteen  hundred  men,  the  appropriation  was 
applied  by  Dinwiddie  in  a  way  almost  useless,  in 
erecting  forts  through  the  Allegheny  Mountains,  from 
the  Potomac  to  South  Carolina ;  neglecting  the  pru- 
dent advice  of  Washington,  who  urged  the  impolicy 
of  their  construction  at  so  great  a  distance  from  each 
other  as  to  render  them  inefficient.  His  plan  was  to 
erect  them  within  eighteen  miles  of  each  other,  that 
they  might  preserve  a  surveillance  over  the  adjacent 
country ;  and  to  be  garrisoned  with  eighty  or  a  hun- 
dred men  each,  so  as  not  to  leave  the  fortresses  too 
weak,  should  detachments  from  them  be  required. 
He  also  recommended  that  a  fort  should  be  built  at 
Winchester,  whose  central  position  wrould  render  it 
a  fit  place  for  military  stores ;  where  the  families  of 
commanding  officers  could  reside,  and  it  thus  be  made 
a  frontier  citadel.  He  further  advised  that  forts  be 
erected  upon  the  frontiers  at  convenient  distances,  three 
or  four  in  number;  and  he  condemned  the  use  of  Fort 
Cumberland  as  being  out  of  the  way,  and  therefore 
inefficient.  Many  other  useful  counsels  were  given  by 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  97 

the  young  commander,  but  neglected  by  Dinwiddie, 
who  persisted  in  a  frontier  line  of  twenty-three  forts. 
Nevertheless,  he  erected  the  fort  at  Winchester  recom- 
mended by  Washington.  During  the  summer  the 
works  at  Winchester  were  commenced,  and  carried 
on  with  as  much  expedition  as  could  be  expected, 
considering  the  imperfect  nature  of  the  organization. 
In  honor  of  the  commander-in-chief,  it  was  named 
Fort  Loudoun.  The  other  forts  were  begun,  and 
drafts  from  the  militia  sent  to  garrison  them.  The 
service  was  perilous,  and  several  persons  were  mur^ 
dered  in  a  defile  by  the  Indians,  a  short  time  after 
Washington,  who  superintended  these  operations, 
had  passed  through. 

In  an  autumnal  tour  made  with  Captain  Hugh 
Mercer,  Washington  attempted  to  raise  a  force  with 
which  to  oppose  the  roaming  Indian  bands;  and  such 
was  the  inefficient  state  of  the  militia,  that  after  wait- 
ing a  few  days,  only  five  men  could  be  mustered  for 
this  service.  Matters  were  but  little  improved  where 
the  militia  took  up  arms.  Their  term  of  service  had 
half  expired,  as  December  was  the  limit  fixed  by  the 
act  of  the  Legislature ;  provisions  had  been  lavishly 
wasted ;  half  the  time  was  taken  up  in  marching  out 
and  returning  home;  cattle  were  unceremoniously 
seized  for  the  use  of  the  troops,  which  naturally  in- 
creased the  popular  disaffection.  Numerous  instances 
occurred  in  which  the  want  of  defence  in  the  garri- 
sons was  apparent.  Indians,  at  one  fort,  seized  seve- 
ral children  and  bore  them  off.  Another  fort  was 
surprised,  and  some  of  the  garrison  put  to  death ; 
and  when  Washington  visited  a  certain  fort,  the  men 
9  G 


98  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

were  found  firing  at  a  mark,  in  this  way  wasting  the 
ammunition  which  might  be  necessary  for  the  protec- 
tion of  their  lives.  He  describes  himself  as  setting 
out,  on  one  occasion,  from  Catawba  with  thirty  men, 
who  were  chiefly  officers,  who  made  continual  sport 
of  order,  circumspection,  and  vigilance ;  and  he  re- 
marks that  it  was  fortunate  no  enemy  appeared,  or 
their  lives  might  have  been  lost  through  the  noisy 
turbulence  of  these  "gentlemen  soldiers" 

The  service  of  the  year  1756  was  full  of  perplexity 
to  "Washington,  in  consequence  of  the  enigmatical 
manner  in  which  Dinwiddie  conveyed  his  orders;  and 
so  ambiguous  Were  these  orders  in  reference  to  Fort 
Cumberland,  which  Washington  had  recommended 
should  be  abandoned,  that  their  import  was  incom- 
prehensible. Dinwiddie  at  length  took  offence  at 
some  remarks  uttered  by  Washington  in  reference  to 
frontier  service,  and  made  such  a  representation  to 
Lord  Loudoun  respecting  Fort  Cumberland,  that  an 
order  was  issued  to  keep  it  manned.  The  consequence 
of  this  resolution  was  a  withdrawal  of  garrisons  from 
the  frontier  forts,  and  of  most  of  the  troops  from 
"Winchester  —  a  course  full  of  imprudence,  and  at- 
tended with  much  loss  and  expense. 

The  secret  was  that  Dinwiddie  bore  "Washington  a 
secret  grudge,  because  the  popular  voice  had  made 
him  commander ;  and  he  wished  to  disgust  him  with 
the  service,  in  order  that  he  might  resign.  Had  it 
not  been  for  the  Winchester  panic,  and  the  real 
danger  in  which  the  country  was  involved,  he  might 
have  succeeded  in  his  purpose;  but  to  Lord  Loudoun 
"Washington  entrusted  the  future  fate  of  Virginia, 


OP    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  99 

The  fort  at  Oswego  was  besieged  by  the  French 
General  Montcalm  on  the  12th  of  August,  and  on 
the  14th  it  capitulated.  The  terms  of  submission 
were  barbarously  violated,  and  many  of  the  British 
soldiers  were  murdered  by  the  savages.  General 
Webb,  who  went  to  the  assistance  of  the  fort,  returned 
to  Albany  after  he  had  heard  of  its  capture;  and 
Lord  Loudoun,  who  had  made  preparations  for  a  great 
northern  campaign  in  the  spring,  went  into  winter 
quarters  in  New  York.  While  the  relief  to  Oswego 
was  postponed,  an  army  of  ten  thousand  men  was 
loitering  in  an  idle  camp  in  Albany.  Mismanage- 
ment in  every  department  of  the  public  service  was 
the  calamity  of  those  times ;  it  remained  for  unfold- 
ing circumstances  to  bring  about  a  better  state  of 
affairs,  under  the  propitious  agency  and  influence  of 
Washington. 


100  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 


CHAPTER  XI. 

DINWIDDIE  AND  LORD  LOUDOUN —  WASHINGTON'S  RELATIONS  WITH 

THEM HIS  ADVICE  RESPECTING  THE  REDUCTION  OF  FORT  DUQUESNB 

—  FAILURE  OF  THE  EXPEDITION  AGAINST  CROWN  POINT  —  WASHING- 
TON'S ILL  HEALTH — HE  RECOVERS,  AND  RESUMES  COMMAND — EXPE- 
DITIONS IN  THE  NORTH  —  EXPEDITION  AGAINST  FORT  DUQUESNE—- 
WASHINGTON'S  FIRST  INTERVIEW  WITH  MRS.  CUSTIS  —  HIS  OPINION 
AND  ADVICE  RESPECTING  THE  LINE  OF  MARCH  —  FORT  DUQUESNE  — 
THE  ENGAGEMENT  —  COLONEL  BOSQUET  —  WASHINGTON  PLANTS  THE 
ENGLISH  STANDARD  ON  THE  RUINS  OF  THE  FORT  —  HIS  MARRIAGE 
WITH  MRS.  CUSTIS. 

WASHINGTON  had  reason  to  suspect  that  Governor 
Dinwiddie  had  impressed  Lord  Loudoun  unfavorably 
against  him ;  and  that  erroneous  opinions  were  en- 
tertained at  head-quarters  respecting  the  state  of  mili- 
tary affairs  under  his  command.  A  meeting  was  to 
be  held  at  Philadelphia  in  March,  1757,  between  Lord 
Loudoun  and  the  Southern  governors,  in  reference  to 
the  defence  of  the  provinces  :  and  Washington  having 
requested  permission  to  attend  it,  obtained  it  with 
a  very  ill  grace  from  the  governor.  A  month  before 
the  meeting,  Washington  sent  his  lordship  a  letter  in 
which  he  explained  the  inefficient  state  of  the  militia, 
the  errors  which  led  to  confusion,  and  an  account  of 
the  imperfect  state  of  defence.  The  purport  of  the 
letter  was,  the  ambiguity  of  the  orders  received;  and 
the  various  mistakes  and  errors  for  which  Washing- 
ton became  answerable  in  consequence  of  it;  the 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  391 

motives  which  influenced  his  conduct  in  again  enter- 
ing the  service ;  and  the  hopes  which  he  entertained 
from  the  appointment  of  Lord  Loudoun.  The  recep- 
tion which  Washington  met  with  in  Philadelphia, 
and  his  being  consulted  about  an  attack  to  be  made 
on  Fort  Duquesne,  evinced  the  impression  which  his 
letter  had  produced  on  his  lordship.  This  attack  he 
advised  to  be  made  at  the  same  time  with  that  on 
Canada ;  but  the  plan  adopted  was  different,  and  by 
this  means  the  defences  of  Virginia  would  become 
weaker  than  before. 

"Washington  failed  in  obtaining  a  king's  com- 
mission ;  and  his  instructions  were  to  co-operate  with 
Colonel  Stanwix,  to  whom  he  would,  in  a  measure, 
be  subordinate.  Colonel  Stanwix,  a  gentleman  of 
great  worth,  commanded  a  regiment  on  the  Pennsyl- 
vania frontier.  The  long-meditated  reduction  of 
Crown  Point  on  Lake  Champlain,  was  changed  for 
that  of  the  strongly  fortified  post  at  Louisburg,  on 
Cape  Breton.  Lord  Loudoun  set  sail  for  Halifax  with 
six  thousand  men,  in  July,  1757,  to  join  Admiral  Hoi- 
bourne  with  six  thousand  troops,  eleven  ships  of  the 
line,  and  a  fleet  of  transports.  The  junction  was  made 
at  Halifax ;  but  the  French  had  anticipated  them,  and 
Admiral  de  Bois  de  la  Mothe  had  reached  Louisburg 
with  a  large  naval  and  land  force,  which,  with  the 
well-fortified  and  well-provisioned  works,  rendered  it 
imprudent  for  Lord  Loudoun  to  attempt  anything.  He 
returned  without  a  triumph  to  New  York ;  while  Admi- 
ral Holbourne  made  a  vain  display  of  his  fleet  within 
two  miles  of  Louisburg,  endeavoring  to  draw  on  an 
engagement,  which  La  Mothe  declined.  A  storm 
9* 


102  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

subsequently  shattered  his  vessels,  and  he  returned 
ignornhriously  to  England.  Thus  ended  the  great 
northern  compaign',  which  justly  excited  the  derision 
of  the  enemy.  The  rest  of  this  year  "Washington 
spent  in  defending  the  frontiers  with  an  inadequate 
force;  during  which  the  Shenandoah  Valley  was 
almost  emptied  of  inhabitants.  Washington  had 
reason  to  think  that  false  representations  had  been, 
made  to  the  governor  against  him  ;  and  he  wrote  a 
spirited  letter,  full  of  noble  sentiments,  which  had 
little  effect  with  that  narrow-minded  official.  The 
numerous  vexations  which  he  was  compelled  to  en- 
dure, made  inroads  on  the  strong  constitution  of 
Washington;  and  by  the  advice  of  his  friend  and 
physician,  he  returned  to  Mount  Vernon.  Dinwiddie 
sailed  for  England  in  January,  1758,  little  regretted 
by  the  colonists,  with  a  character  stained  by  imputa- 
tions of  extortion,  avarice,  and  delinquency,  in  regard 
to  the  disposal  of  certain  sums  sent  by  the  British 
Government,  for  which  he  had  never  accounted. 

The  health  of  Washington  improved  by  relaxation, 
and  he  again  assumed  the  authority  at  Fort  Loudoun. 
Mr.  John  Blair  had  charge  of  the  government  until 
the  arrival  of  Mr.  Fauquier,  the  successor  of  Din- 
widdie. William  Pitt  had  succeeded  to  the  British 
Cabinet,  and  the  command  in  America  devolved  on 
Major-General  Abercrombie.  This  officer  made  a 
threefold  division  of  the  forces ;  one  of  which  was  to 
march  northward  under  Major-General  Amherst,  to 
aid  the  fleet  under  Boscawen  in  the  reduction  of 
Louisburg  and  Cape  Breton ;  another  was  to  be  led 
against  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point,  on  Lake 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  103 

Champlain,  by  Abercrombie ;  and  Brigadiei -General 
Forbes  was  to  reduce  Fort  Duquesne.  The  colonial 
troops  were  to  be  put  on  the  same  footing  with  tha 
regulars,  and  to  be  of  equal  rank.  "Washington  re- 
solved to  remain  in  the  service  till  after  the  capture 
of  Fort  Duquesne ;  and  the  forces  of  Virginia  were 
now  increased  to  two  regiments,  both  destined  for 
that  expedition.  They  contained  one  thousand  men 
each ;  one  of  which  Washington  was  to  command, 
the  other  was  under  Colonel  Byra. 

It  is  important  to  trace  briefly  the  two  expeditions 
against  Louisburg  and  the  island  of  Cape  Breton, 
and  against  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point. 

Major-General  Amherst,  with  Brigadier-General 
Wolfe,  who  afterward  became  famous,  embarked  in 
the  fleet  of  Admiral  Boscawen  at  Halifax,  in  the  end 
of  May,  1758 ;  and  on  July  2d,  reached  the  Bay  ot 
Gabarres,  a  few  miles  from  Louisburg,  whose  garri- 
son consisted  of  twenty-five  hundred  regulars,  three 
hundred  militia,  and  four  hundred  Canadians  and 
Indians.  Six  ships  of  the  line,  and  three  frigates, 
were  anchored  in  the  harbor.  An  attempt  was  made 
to  land  in  boats  on  the  8th  of  June,  under  Brigadiers 
Wolfe,  Whitmore,  and  Laurens.  The  landing  waa 
effected  with  great  gallantry  by  Wolfe,  amid  the  surf 
and  the  discharge  of  artillery.  The  other  divisions 
also  landed,  and  Louisburg  was  attacked.  Amherst 
was  cautious,  and  a  desperate  defence  was  determined 
on  byDrucour,  who  commanded  the  besieged.  Wolfe, 
by  a  vigorous  night  attack,  took  Light-Horse  Point, 
and  thereby  greatly  aided  Amherst.  Three  of  the 
largest  of  the  enemy's  ships  were  fired  by  a  bomb- 


104  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

shell  on  July  21st,  two  others  were  afterward  boarded, 
eword  in  hand.  The  enemy  were  compelled  at  last 
to  capitulate ;  and  Captain  Amherst,  brother  of  the 
general,  conveyed  to  England  eleven  pairs  of  colors 
taken  at  Louisburg,  which  were  suspended  in  St. 
Paul's  Cathedral. 

Abercrombie,  with  six  or  seven  thousand  regulars, 
and  nine  thousand  provincials,  encamped  on  Lake 
George.  After  the  return  of  Major-General  Putnam, 
whom  he  had  sent  to  reconnoitre,  he  prepared  to  ad- 
vance against  Ticonderoga,  in  Lake  Champln.n;  and 
the  forces,  on  the  5th  of  July,  were  embarked  in  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five  whale-boats,  and  nine  hun- 
dred batteaux,  and  the  artillery  on  rafts.  When  they 
came  upon  the  enemy  behind  a  breastwork,  the 
French  burnt  their  camp  and  retreated.  The  troops 
remained  steady,  but  the  guides  being  ignorant,  they 
became  confused  in  the  forest.  A  brisk  engagement 
ensued  with  a  detachment  of  the  French,  in  which  the 
foe  was  routed.  Lord  Howe,  however,  fell,  and  the 
command  devolved  on  Abercrombie,  who  retreated 
to  the  place  where  they  had  landed.  Montcalm  had 
called  in  the  outposts,  and  fortified  himself  strongly. 
The  engineers  assured  Abercrombie  that  the  works 
were  in  reality  very  weak.  He  accordingly  ordered 
an  attack,  and  in  the  storming  of  the  works,  .the 
troops  exhibited  the  most  heroic  valor.  But  all  was 
in  vain ;  they  were  shot  down  as  th.ey  reached  the 
parapet,  and  in  repeated  assaults  were  repelled  with 
terrible  loss.  Two  thousand  killed  and  wounded  de- 
monstrated the  deadly  energy  and  valor  of  the  French 
troops.  The  English  were  then  drawn  oftj  and  tho 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  105 

disheartened  Abercrombie  re-embarked  the  troops  and 
returned  across  the  lake.  Fronteuac  was  taken  from 
the  French  by  Colonel  Bradstreet,  about  the  same 
period. 

The  expedition  appointed  to  reduce  Fort  Du- 
quesne  proceeded  slowly.  Brigadier-General  Forbes, 
the  commander-in-chief,  was  detained  at  Philadel- 
phia; and  Colonel  Bouquet  was  stationed  at  Rays- 
town,  in.  Pennsylvania,  where  about  four  thousand 
troops  had  been  collected.  "Washington  disciplined 
his  troops  at  Winchester,  consisting  of  nineteen  hun- 
dred regulars,  and  seven  hundred  Indians.  The  force 
was  in  need  of  almost  every  article  of  equipment,  and 
he  had  vainly  represented  to  the  authorities  the  desti- 
tute condition  of  the  troops.  He  set  out  on  his  wray 
to  join  General  Forbes  at  Williamsburg,  and  to  in- 
form the  council  of  the  state  of  affairs,  accompanied 
by  Bishop,  the  well-trained  military  servant  left  with 
him  by  General  Braddock.  On  this  journey  he  fell 
in  with  a  certain  Mr.  Chamberlain  at  York  River, 
and  accepted  an  invitation  to  dine  with  him,  with 
considerable  reluctance,  as  he  was  in  haste  to  arrive 
at  Williamsburg.  At  this  gentleman's  residence  lie 
met  a  lady  named  Custis,  whose  charms  produced  a 
deep  impression  on  his  heart.  She  was  a  fascinating 
and  blooming  widow,  the  daughter  of  Mr.  John  Dan- 
dridge.  Her  husband  had  been  three  years  deceased, 
and  had  left  her  two  young  children,  and  a  consider- 
able fortune.  The  dinner  being  over,  Bishop  made 
nis  appearance  with  the  horses ;  but  "Washington 
found  the  time  pass  too  agreeably,  and  he  deter- 
mined to  postpone  his  departure  until  the  next 


106  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

morning.  He  then  resumed  the  way  to  his  destina- 
tion. The  residence  of  Mrs.  Custis  was  at  White 
House,  not  far  from  Williamsburg;  and  he  subse- 
quently employed  the  time  to  such  advantage,  and 
pressed  his  suit  so  successfully,  that  the  widow  ac- 
cepted him,  a  regular  engagement  was  the  conse- 
quence, and  the  marriage  was  agreed  upon  to  take  place 
as  soon  as  Fort  Duquesne  should  be  reduced.  Wash- 
ington was  triumphant  in  love  as  in  war ;  and  at  this 
time  his  gallant  bearing  and  handsome  person  must 
have  rendered  him  very  attractive  to  the  most  fasti- 
dious and  exacting  of  the  fairer  sex. 

Washington  was  impatient  to  march,  and  the  more 
so  as  he  feared  the  Indian  allies  would  desert  him  if 
the  delay  were  prolonged.  He  equipped  his  men  in 
the  Indian  hunting-garb,  and  Colonel  Bouquet  thought 
this  would  be  a  good  attire  for  the  expedition.  Wash- 
ington regretted  that  the  line  of  march  was  not  by 
Braddock's  road,  but  by  a  new  one  to  Fort  Duquesne, 
on  the  usual  tracks  of  the  Indian  traders.  He  showed 
that  the  new  road  could  be  opened  only  by  extreme 
labor,  whereas  the  other  could  be  repaired  in  a  short 
time,  and  their  destination  could  be  reached  in  thirty- 
four  days ;  so  that  by  the  middle  of  October  the 
entire  campaign  would  be  concluded.  His  advice 
was  of  no  avail ;  September  found  him  yet  inactive 
in  Fort  Cumberland ;  while  sixteen  hundred  men 
were  sent  on  the  advance  from  Raystown,  to  work  on 
the  road,  and  the  time  was  thus  fleeting  uselessly 
away. 

With  great  toil  the  road  was  made  to  Loyal  Han- 
nou,  near  Laurel  Hill  Colonel  Bouquet  detached 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  107 

Major  Grant  with  eight  hundred  picked  men,  and 
some  of  Washington's  company,  in  Indian  garb,  under 
Major  Lewis.  This  enterprize  was  conducted  with 
little  prudence.  The  savages  were  apprised  of  their 
approach ;  the  reveille  was  sounded  ;  and  having  now 
reached  the  fort,  an  observation  of  the  works  with  a 
plan,  was  made  in  view  of  the  garrison.  The  infatua- 
tion of  the  British  commander  was  augmented  by  the 
silence  of  the  fort,  as  not  a  single  gun  was  fired. 
This  was  taken  as  an  evidence  of  fear,  when  suddenly 
the  garrison  sallied  forth,  and  the  flanks  of  the  Eng- 
lish were  attacked  by  an  Indian  ambuscade.  Bravery 
was  now  of  little  service ;  the  most  dreadful  carnage 
ensued  in  the  whole  detachment.  Captain  Bullitt  made 
a  barricade  with  wagons,  and  his  men  were  posted 
behind  them.  The  savages  pursued  the  fugitives 
when  they  had  completed  their  havoc  and  plunder; 
and  on  their  advance  Bullitt  and  his  men,  at  a  signal 
before  agreed  upon,  opened  a  destructive  fire  upon 
the  foe,  by  which  they  were  checked.  Bullitt  and  his 
troops  then  made  a  feint  of  surrender  to  the  enemy; 
and  when  within  eighty  yards  poured  a  volley  among 
them,  and  charged  with  the  bayonet.  The  Indians 
fled,  and  the  routed  detachments  returned  to  Colonel 
Bouquet's  camp  at  Loyal  Hannon,  having  lost  twenty- 
one  officers  and  seventy-three  privates.  Colonel 
Forbes  complimented  Washington  at  Eaystown  on 
the  conduct  of  the  Virginia  troops ;  and  Captain  Bul- 
litt was  promoted.  Washington  received  the  com- 
mand of  a  division,  to  keep  the  advance  of  the  main 
body,  and  repel  the  onset  of  the  Indians. 

The  commander  of  Fort  Duquesne,when  the  British 


108  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

troops  were  within  a  day's  march  of  it,  embarked  at 
night  in  bouts,  blew  up  the  fort,  and  by  the  light  of 
the  burning  ruins  sailed  down  the  Ohio.  Washing- 
ton mounted  the  British  flag  on  the  remains  of  this 
fortress  on  the  25th  of  November,  1758.  The  army 
collected  and  interred  the  bones  of  their  comrades 
who  had  fallen  in  the  defeat  of  Braddock,  and  the 
dilapidated  works  were  again  put  in  a  posture  of  de- 
fence, and  called  Fort  Pitt,  in  honor  of  the  British 
minister.  It  was  defended  by  two  hundred  men  de- 
tailed from  Washington's  regiment,  and  the  name 
has  since  been  changed  to  Pittsburg.  By  the  fall  of 
this  fort  the  French  power  on  the  Ohio  was  destroyed; 
danger  vanished  from  the  frontiers;  and  a  treaty  of 
peace  was  concluded  with  the  Indiana  between  the 
lakes  and  the  Ohio.  In  the  quiet  that  ensued,  Wash- 
ington laid  down  his  commission,  hung  up  his  arms, 
with  the  applause  of  the  people,  and,  amid  a  joyous 
gathering  of  his  relatives  and  friends  at  the  White 
House,  his  marriage  with  Mrs.  Custis  took  place  on 
January  6th,  1759. 

The  British  minister,  encouraged  by  the  triumphs 
of  the  past,  planned  the  entire  subjugation  of  the 
French  possessions  in  America,  and  resolved  to  expel 
that  nation  from  Canada.  The  strongholds  of  the 
province  were  Quebec,  Niagara,  and  Ticonderop*, 
against  each  of  which  an  expedition  w#s  prepared. 


OF    GEOEGE    WASHINGTON.  100 


CHAPTER  XII. 

WASHINGTON  IN  THE  HOUSE  OP  BURGESSES  —  HIS  RESIDENCE  AT 
MOUNT  "VEltNON A  DESCRIPTION  OF  HIS  CHARACTER  —  ENJOY- 
MENTS AND  PURSUITS  IN  RURAL  LIFE — WASHINGTON'S  INDUSTRY 

HE    EXPLORES     THE    DISMAL     SWAMP COURTLY    HABITS    IN    THB 

Oi-D     DOMINION — WASHINGTON    THE     MODEL    OF   A   VIRGINIA   GEN- 
TLEMAN. 

WASHING?^  remained  three  months  at  the  "White 
House  with  his  bride,  after  their  union.  On  his 
arrival  at  Wv'.liarnsburg  to  take  his  seat  in  the  House 
of  Burgesses  his  appearance  was  greeted  with  nume- 
rous testimonials  of  respect,  and  the  speaker  pro- 
nounced a  eulogy  on  the  services  which  he  had  ren- 
dered to  his  country.  When  he  rose  to  reply,  he  could 
not  articulate  a  word;  but  blushed  and  stammered. 
The  smiling  speaker  opportunely  replied  :  "  Sit  down, 
Mr.  Washington,  your  modesty  equals  your  valor, 
and  that  surpasses  the  power  of  any  language  I  pos- 
sess." During  the  remainder  of  the  session,  Wash- 
ington attended  the  House  frequently,  and  afterward 
with  his  wife  took  up  his  abode  in  the  peaceful 
shades  of  Mount  Vernon.  Before  this  time  he  had 
felt  a  desire  to  visit  England ;  but  now  he  describes 
himself  as  "  fixed  in  his  seat,  with  an  agreeable  part- 
ner for  life,  and  hoping  to  find  .more  happiness  in 
retirement  than  he  ever  experienced  in  the  wide 
and  bustling  world."  His  wife's  former  husband  had 
10 


110  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

left  two  children,  a  large  landed  property,  and  forty- 
five  thousand  pounds  in  money  ;  one-third  of  which 
Mrs.  Washington  possessed  in  her  own  right ;  the  re- 
mainder was  divided  in  equal  shares  between  the 
two  children,  one  a  boy  of  six,  and  the  other  a  girl 
of  four  years  of  age. 

A  decree  of  the  General  Court  appointed  "Washing- 
ton guardian  of  the  property  of  the  children — a  trust 
which  he  always  discharged  with  great  faithfulness, 
He  felt  at  this  period  intense  fondness  for  the  pursuits 
of  agriculture.  He  loved  the  pleasant  retirement  of 
Mount  Vernon,  and  his  beautiful  mansion  commanded 
a  splendid  view  of  the  Potomac.  Woods  yet  remained 
on  the  estate,  and  dells  with  inlets,  and  streams  of 
water;  while  here  and  there,  farms  tilled  with  dif- 
ferent sorts  of  culture,  and  having  each  their  peculiar 
class  of  laborers,  variegated  the  scene.  Within  the 
ample  grounds  were  the  haunts  of  the  deer  and  the 
lurking  places  of  foxes;  through  which,  in  his  youth- 
ful days,  he  had  followed  the  chase  with  Lord  Fair- 
fax, amid  all  the  woody  region  lying  from  Mount 
Yernon  to  Belvoirs,  on  the  picturesque  shores  of  the 
Potomac.  Here,  too,  the  beloved  brother  whom  he 
had  loved,  but  who  was  deceased,  had  wandered  with 
him  in  their  boyhood  days.  Such  remembrances  were 
dear  to  his  heart;  and  there,  free  from  the  restless 
dreams  of  ambition,  it  was  his  desire  to  spend  hia 
years  in  the  happy  seclusion  of  rural  scenery.  Here 
he  who  afterward  became  the  great  American  Fabius, 
the  father  and  deliverer  of  his  imperilled  country,  spent 
several  of  his  happiest  years.  He  was  not  yet  widely 
celebrated  by  the  trumpet  of  fame,  nor  had  he  gained 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  Ill 

an  exalted  niche  in  her  temple.  The  muse  of  history 
had  not  traced  his  virtues  on  the  undying  page,  as 
the  pride  and  glory  of  his  country ;  yet  here,  in  this 
retired  spot,  were  then  slumbering  the  sparks,  which 
were  destined  afterward  to  kindle  into  a  torch  whose 
light  should  cheer  and  guide  his  country  in  the 
darkest  hour  of  her  coming  disasters.  The  mind 
loves  to  linger  in  the  pleasant  shade  and  rural  scenes 
in  which  such  eminent  virtues  had  their  nursery. 

"Washington  was  already  opulent.  His  ample  for- 
tune received  the  accession  of  a  hundred  thousand 
dollars  by  his  marriage.  His  style  of  living,  at  this 
period,  was  dignified.  A  coach  and  four,  with  live- 
ried postillions,  was  the  usual  conveyance  of  his  wife 
and  female  visitors;  though  he  himself  always  ap- 
peared on  horseback,  and  kept  the  finest  stud  of 
horses  in  the  vicinity.  It  should  be  remembered  that 
Virginia,  in  those  days,  was  an  aristocratic  commu- 
nity, as  became  the  descendants  of  the  cavaliers.  A 
high  and  chivalrous  spirit  prevailed,  and  considerable 
fondness  for  ostentation  distributed  the  wealth  of  the 
rich  around  them.  Hosts  .  of  attendants  for  almost 
every  purpose  thronged  a  Virginia  mansion  of  that 
era,  the  rich  fabrics  and  commodities  of  London 
were  imported ;  and  luxury  generally  prevailed. 

Washington  kept  his  own  accounts,  and  set  an  ex- 
cellent example  of  diligence  and  attention  to  business. 
To  his  negroes  he  was  always  kind,  but  he  kept  them 
at  work.  lie  once  watched  the  labor  of  four  negroes, 
who,  as  carpenters,  were  sawing  timber;  observed 
what  time  was  needed  to  get  the  tools  ready;  how 
long  it  required  to  clear  away  the  branches,  and  then 


112  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

to  saw  the  tree;  and  by  this  scrutiny  the  capability  of 
every  man  was  fully  put  to  the  test.  So  he  once  as- 
sisted his  man  Peter  several  days  in  the  invention  of 
a  plough;  and  when  a  mill  was  said  to  have  fallen  in 
a  thunder-storm,  he  put  himself  at  the  head  of  his 
servants,  laboriously  wheeling  and  shovelling  gravel 
while  the  rain  fell  in  torrents,  to  set  bounds  to  the 
pressure  of  the  water.  He  was  remarkably  fond  of 
the  chase,  as  was  mentioned  on  a  former  page,  and 
few  enjoyed  a  hunting  dinner  with  greater  zest.  His 
custom  was  to  rise  early;  and  he  was  in  the  habit  of 
lighting  his  own  fire  when  he  rose  before  daylight. 
He  took  several  cups  of  tea,  and  some  cakes  at  break- 
fast, and  then  mounted  his  horse.  He  dined  at  two 
o'clock.  When  the  day  was  wet  he  read,  or  arranged 
his  papers,  or  posted  his  books. 

On  one  occasion  a  person  who  was  shooting  his 
duck?,  was  followed  by  him,  after  hearing  the  report 
of  his  gun.  He  at  length  came  upon  him,  and  the 
offender  raised  his  weapon  in  a  threatening  manner. 
But  Washington  wrested  it  from  him,  and  administered 
to  him  such  a  reproof  as  prevented  him  from  trespass- 
ing again.  He  sometimes  went  to  Annapolis  with 
Mrs.  Washington,  and  enjoyed  the  pleasure  of  culti- 
vated and  fashionable  society.  Dinners,  balls,  and 
private  theatrical  entertainments  were  then  the  order 
of  the  day,  and  Washington  often  took  part  in  the 
dance. 

Mount  Vernon  was  a  great  resort  of  visitors,  many 
of  whom,  attracted  by  Washington's  reputation,  went 
to  see  him.  He  received  them  with  the  most  liberal 
hospitality.  He  himself  never  had  any  children,  bpt 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  113 

those  of  Mrs.  Washington  he  protected  with  the  assi- 
duity and  affection  of  a  parent.  He  was  at  this 
period,  a  vestryman  of  two  parishes;  and  on  the 
rebuilding  of  the  church  at  Pohiok  he  assumed  a 
large  portion  of  the  expense. 

An  enterprise  was  set  on  foot,  about  this  period,  to 
drain  the  Dismal  Swamp.  "Washington,  with  charac- 
teristic hardihood,  explored  it,  and  found  it  to  be  thirty 
miles  long  and  ten  miles  wide ;  gloomy  woods  of 
cedar  and  cypress,  hemlock,  fallen  trees,  and  moss, 
were  everywhere  seen ;  while  here  and  there  were 
pools,  vines,  creeping  plants,  ancf  now  and  then  a  bog 
that  shook  under  him  in  so  dangerous  a  manner,  that 
he  was  compelled  often  to  dismount.  The  Lake  of  the 
Dismal  Swamp,  or  Drummond's  Pond,  he  found  in 
the  centre,  about  six  miles  long,  and  in  breadth  not 
more  than  three.  It  was  located  at  the  highest  point, 
and  formed  a  suitable  reservoir  for  canals.  He  noted 
every  particular  in  his  book,  traversed  the  whole  re- 
gion, and  having  made  his  encampment  on  firm 
ground,  finished  his  exploration,  and  afterward  ori- 
ginated the  improvements  which  were  subsequently 
made  in  this  locality. 

We  have  thus  traced  Washington  through  the  perils 
of  the  wilderness,  and  amid  the  thrilling  scenes  in 
which  he  obtained  military  experience,  and  learned 
the  art  of  war.  We  have  seen  him  face  the  foe 
with  bravery,  and  in  perilous  circumstances  exhibit 
the  magnanimity  and  fortitude  of  the  hero.  We  have 
beheld  honors  bestowed  upon  him  by  his  native  State, 
and  her  House  of  Burgesses ;  and  we  have  followed 
him  into  domestic  retirement,  and  observed  his  enno- 
10*  ii 


114  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

bling  virtues  there,  amid  tranquil  and  rural  seclusion, 
Henceforth  we  shall  trace  him  amid  the  perils  of  war, 
surrounded  by  the  laborious  toils  of  a  camp,  on  the 
sanguinary  fields  of  battle,  and  in  the  supreme  offices 
of  power  and  influence,  to  which  the  gratitude  of  a 
free  people  subsequently  elevated  him. 

The  treaty  of  Fontainbleau,  which  gave  peace  to 
the  colonies,  seemed  to  afford  the  hope  of  its  perpe- 
tuity. This  hope  was  destined  to  disappointment; 
and  the  Delawares,  Shawuees,  and  other  Ohio  tribes, 
with  whom  Washington  had  mixed,  as  well  as  some 
of  the  chiefs  who  had  been  his  allies,  took  up  the 
hatchet  against  the  English,  laid  a  deep  plot,  whose 
ramifications  included  a  simultaneous  attack  on  all 
the  posts  between  Port  Pitt  and  Detroit.  After  rava- 
ging the  frontiers  of  Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  and 
Virginia,  and  carrying  butchery,  desolation,  and  dis- 
may all  around,  they  were  only  checked  by  the  in- 
fluence of  Sir  William  Johnson  from  uniting  with  the 
Six  Nations,  and  rendering  the  triumph  of  the  toma- 
hawk complete.  This  war,  from  the  name  of  the 
leading  spirit  in  it,  was  known  as  Pontiac's  War. 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  113 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

CAUSES  LEADING  TO  THE  AMERICAN  REVOLUTION  —  RESTRICTIONS  OX 
COMMERCE  AND  MANUFACTURES — THE  RIGHT  TO  TAX  AMERICA, 
AND  OTHER  GRIEVANCES  —  THE  STAMP  ACT  —  SPEECH  OP  PATRICK 
HENRY  —  REPEAL  OF  THE  STAMP  ACT — THE  OFFENSIVE  CLAUSE 
RETAINED  —  THE  EQUANIMITY  OF  WASHINGTON  —  LORD  BOTETOURT, 
HIS  CHARACTER,  AND  DEATH  —  THE  GENERAL  COURT  OF  BOSTON — 
WASHINGTON  MAKES  A  TOUR  TO  THE  OHIO — HIS  AFFLICTION  ON 
THE  DEATH  OF  MISS  CUSTIS  —  DIFFICULTIES  AS  THE  GUARDIAN  OF 
JOHN  PARKS  CUSTIS  —  EARL  OF  DUNMORE  GOVERNOR  OF  VIRGINIA 
—  THE  TEA  THROWN  INTO  THE  SEA  AT  BOSTON  —  BOSTON  PORT 
BILL  —  WASHINGTON  AS  CHAIRMAN  AND  DELEGATE  —  HIS  ENTHU- 
SIASTIC PATRIOTISM  —  AFFAIRS  IN  BOSTON,  AND  EMBARRASSMENT 
OF  GENERAL  GAGE. 

SERIOUS  difficulties  were  now  about  to  arise  between 
Great  Britain  and  her  colonies.  The  colonial  paper 
having  depreciated,  the  British  merchants  sent  a  me- 
morial on  the  subject  to  the  Board  of  Trade ;  who  re- 
plied that  no  paper  issued  by  the  colonies  should  be 
a  legal  tender  in  payment  of  debts.  Washington  saw 
the  inflammatory  tendency  of  this  decision.  The 
colonies  revered  the  mother  country,  but  her  selfish 
commercial  policy  amounted  to  monopoly.  Foreign 
vessels  were  excluded  from  American  ports,  and  im- 
ports were  to  be  made  solely  from  England,  in  Eng- 
lish ships;  while  exports  were  required  to  be  sent 
only  to  Great  Britain  or  her  dependencies.  Heavy 
duties  were  imposed  on  articles  of  trade ;  manufac- 


116  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

tures  were  placed  under  the  most  illiberal  restraints, 
or  prohibited  entirely  when  likely  to  come  into  compe- 
tition with  those  of  Great  Britain.  The  circumstances 
which  precipitated  an  open  rupture  between  England 
and  her  colonies  are  familiar  to  every  reader,  and 
need  not  be  repeated  here. 

Washington  was  one  of  the  watchmen  who  guarded 
Jie  interests  of  his  country,  and  calmly  observed  the 
coming  storm  from  his  abode  of  Mount  Vernon. 
American  taxation  was  opposed  by  Sir  Robert  Wai- 
pole,  the  English  minister,  who  said  that  it  would  re- 
quire a  bolder  man  than  himself  to  adopt  such  a  step; 
but  he  suggested  it  indirectly  by  the  imposition  of 
heavy  duties.  An  attempt  was  made  in  1760  in  Bos- 
ton, to  collect  those  duties  on  certain  articles ;  but  it 
was  not  permitted  to  be  done.  The  commission  of 
judges  appointed  "during  the  king's  pleasure,"  gave 
offence,  and  were  resisted  first  in  New  York.  The  ex- 
action of  oaths  from  naval  officers  against  smuggling, 
had  an  injurious  effect,  and  the  colonists  in  retalia- 
tion refused  to  purchase  British  fabrics  for  clothing ; 
by  which  means,  in  one  year,  in  Boston  alone,  the 
demand  for  British  goods  fell  ten  thousand  pounds. 

The  "  right  to  tax  America"  was  debated  in  1764, 
in  the  House  of  Commons,  and  decided  in  the  affirm- 
ative ;  and  notice  was  given  of  this  resolution  to  the 
colonies,  where  the  intention  was  expressed  of  sup- 
porting a  standing  army  by  the  moneys  raised  by  that 
taxation.  An  immense  number  of  claims  against  the 
colonies,  based  on  twenty-nine  acts  of  Parliament  be- 
tween 1660  and  1764,  which  Burke  justly  termed  "an 
infinite  variety  of  paper  claims,"  held  the  colonies  in 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  117 

a  species  of  pecuniary  bondage.  The  Stamp  Act  be- 
came the  signal  for  opposition.  By  it  no  instruments 
would  be  valid  in  law  or  trade,  except  such  as  were 
written  on  stamped  paper,  to  be  purchased  only  of 
the  agents  of  the  British  Government.  At  the  same 
time  all  criminal  offences  were  to  be  tried  in  the  royal 
or  admiralty  courts. 

Washington  was  present  in  the  House  of  Burgesses 
on  May  29th,  1765,  when  the  Stamp  Act  came  up  for 
discussion  in  that  body.  His  patriotism  was  at  once 
inflamed.  Patrick  Henry  rose  and  vindicated  the  ex- 
clusive right  of  the  General  Assembly  of  Virginia  to 
tax  the  inhabitants  of  that  colony ;  and  declared  him- 
self an  enemy  to  the  colony  which  maintained  the  con- 
trary. It  was  on  this  occasion  that  he  fulminated  the 
famous  and  soul-stirring  threat:  "Caesar  had  his  Bru- 
tus ;  Charles  the  First  his  Cromwell ;  and  George  the 
Third"  (treason!  treason!  exclaimed  some  persons 
near  the  chair)  "may  profit  by  their  example.  Sir, 
if  this  be  treason,  then  make  the  most  of  it." 

The  whole  country  soon  became  aroused  and  in- 
flamed. Events-  were  hurrying  forward  to  a  decisive 
crisis.  The  enforcement  of  the  Stamp  Act  in  Boston ; 
the  excitement  in  New  York ;  the  combination  of  the 
merchants  of  that  city,  Philadelphia,  and  Boston, 
against  the  importation  of  British  goods  till  the  repeal 
of  the  Stamp  Act,  with  "Union"  for  their  watch- 
word; the  dismissal  of  Mr.  Grenville  from  the  British 
Cabinet;  Dr.  Franklin's  examination  before  the  Eng 
lish  House  of  Commons;  the  repeal  of  the  Stamp 
Act  in  1766,  with  the  fatal  clause — the  chief  bone  of 
contention — remaining,  "  that  the  king,  with  consent 


118  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

of  Parliament,  had  power  to  make  laws  to  bin'd  the 
colonies,  and  people  of  America,  in  all  cases  whatso- 
ever";—  all  had  been  duly  noted  by  the  vigilant  and 
patriotic  mind  of  Washington.     He  saw  with  appre- 
hension the  growing  discontent,  and  the  people  rising 
against  taxation  ;  this  feeling  was  intensified  and  in- 
creased when  he  heard  of  the  embarkation  of  two  regi- 
ments of  troops  to  overawe  the  people;  tidings  of  the 
refusal  of  the  "Select  men"  to  find  quarters  for  the  sol- 
diers on  their  arrival ;  these  events  and  many  more, 
came  to  his  knowledge ;  but  he  preserved  his  equa- 
nimity, for  the  voice  of  his  country  had  not  yet  in- 
voked his  personal  interference.     His  diary,  at  this 
period,  evinces  the  tranquillity  which  he  enjoyed  at 
Mount  Yernon,  in  his  agricultural  pursuits,  his  hunt- 
ing, his  duck  shooting  on  the  Potomac,  his  dinners  at 
Mount  Vernon  and  Belvoir  with  his  old  friend  Lord 
Fairfax,     We  find  him  writing  to  his  friend  George 
Mason,  and  discussing  all  the  points  at  issue  between 
the  colonies  and  the  mother  country ;  exhibiting  in 
his  remarks  the  grand  principles  by  which  his  conduct 
was  afterward  regulated,  and  yet  showing  that  he 
could  ar»nly  to  England  incidentally  the  title  of  home. 
It  was  perhaps  not  yet  too  late  to  prevent  extremities. 
Lord  Botetourt  was  appointed  governor  of  the  pro- 
vince.    Of  him  Walpole  had  said  that  he  would  turn 
the  heads  of  the  Virginians  one  way  or  the  other, 
and  either  excite  their  animosities,  or  captivate  them 
by  his  personal  graces.     He  entertained  many  erro- 
neous ideas  in  reference  to  the  colony,  and  opened 
the  session  of  the  House  in  state  as  the  king  was 
accustomed  to  open  Parliament,  proceeding  to  the 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  119 

eapitol  in  his  coach  drawn  by  six  white  horses ;  and, 
after  delivering  his  speech,  returning  to  his  palace 
with  the  same  preposterous  pomp.  But  the  Virginia 
legislators  were  occupied  with  matters  of  more  serious 
importance.  They  came  to  contend  for  their  rights ; 
they  adopted  spirited  resolutions ;  they  condemned 
the  recent  act  of  Parliament  imposing  taxes;  and 
declared  that  the  power  of  doing  so  was  vested  in  the 
House  of  Burgesses  alone. 

Their  fellow-patriots  of  New  England  manifested 
their  sympathy  writh  the  heroic  stand  taken  by  Vir- 
ginia. As  Massachusetts  was  at  that  time  without  a 
General  Assembly,  the  contest  was  continued  by  the 
Virginia  Legislature ;  and  in  an  address  to  the  king 
it  was  asserted,  that  all  crimes  and  misdemeanors 
should  be  tried  by  his  majesty's  courts  within  the 
colony;  at  the  same  time  beseeching  him  to  prevent 
the  miseries  resulting  from  sending  persons  charged 
with  crime  to  England,  depriving  them  of  the  privilege 
of  trial  by  jury,  and  of  producing  witnesses  in  their 
defence.  Dismayed  or  incensed  by  these  high-toned 
proceedings,  Lord  Botetourt  dissolved  the  House  of 
Burgesses.  The  spirit  of  resistance  being  once  aroused, 
was  not  to  be  allayed;  but  his  lordship  altered  his  tac- 
tics, became  a  strenuous  advocate  for  the  abolition  of 
the  taxes,  and  quieted  the  Virginians  with  the  assur- 
ance that  their  demands  should  be  satisfied.  Mean- 
while, the  General  Court  having  met  in  Boston,  sent  a 
committee  to  the  Governor  of  Massachusetts  to  say, 
that  they  could  not  transact  business  while  the  town 
was  invested  by  sea  and  land,  while  cannon  were 
pointed  at  their  door,  and  a  military  guard  kept  the 


120  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

State  House ;  requesting  these  obstructions  to  be  taken 
away  during  their  sitting.  The  governor  replied  that 
he  had  no  authority  to  do  so;  the  court,  therefore, 
did  not  sit,  and  when  in  session  at  Cambridge,  where 
they  met,  the  governor  sent  a  message  to  demand 
money  and  quarters  for  the  support  and  accommoda- 
tion of  the  troops.  The  demand  was  refused,  as  hos- 
tile to  the  rights  of  the  colony. 

A  change  took  place  at  this  period  in  the  British 
Cabinet.  The  Duke  of  Grafton  was  succeeded  by 
Lord  North.  In  March  an  act  was  passed  by  wrhich 
all  the  duties  imposed  in  1767  were  revoked,  except 
that  on  tea.  This  measure  involved  the  whole  ques- 
tion in  dispute ;  and  the  people  resolved  to  purchase  no 
more  tea  till  the  repeal  of  the  duty.  The  disingenu- 
ous conduct  of  the  ministers  had  the  effect  of  morti- 
fying Lord  Botetourt,  who  asked  for  his  discharge ; 
but  before  it  arrived,  he  died  of  an  attack  of  bilious 
fever,  which  overcame  a  frame  already  debilitated  by 
vexation.  He  had  become  popular  with  the  Virginians; 
the  House  of  Burgesses  decreed  the  erection  of  a 
statue  to  his  memory;  and  he  yet  gives  name  to  a 
county  in  that  State.  Washington  at  this  period  made 
an  expedition  to  the  Ohio,  to  ascertain  whether  the 
soldiers  had  obtained  the  lands  promised  them.  The 
frontier  was  then  in  a  disordered  state ;  some  traders 
and  squatters  were  murdered,  and  further  trouble  was 
apprehended.  He  visited  Fort  Pitt,  then  garrisoned 
by  two  companies.  A  hamlet  consisting  of  a  few  log 
houses,  called  the  town,  composed  what  is  now  the 
populous  and  flourishing  city  of  Pittsburg.  He  de- 
scended the  Ohio  as  far  as  the  great  Kanawha;  break- 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  121 

fasted  at  Log-town ;  and  in  the  progress  of  his  jour- 
ney  gratified  his  passion  for  hunting  by  the  pursuit 
of  deer,  and  the  shooting  of  wild  turkeys.  He  made 
frequent  notes  of  the  appearance  of  the  country,  and 
of  the  quality  of  the  soil.  After  his  return  home, 
the  hazardous  nature  of  his  journey  became  apparent 
by  another  outbreak  of  the  Indian  tribes,  which  took 
place  on  the  Ohio,  in  which  Colonel  Lewis  and  a 
number  of  Virginians  were  murdered  on  the  banks 
of  the  great  Kanawha. 

The  paternal  conduct  of  Washington  toward  the 
two  children  of  his  wife,  has  already  been  referred  to. 
His  sensibilities  were  now  put  to  a  severe  tost  by  the 
illness  and  death  of  Miss  Custis,  in  her  seventeenth 
year.  She  had  always  been  of  a  feeble  constitution, 
and  early  in  the  summer  of  1773  became  rapidly 
worse.  Washington  had  been  absent  for  a  period ; 
and  on  his  return  he  discovered  that  a  pulmonary 
disease  rendered  her  recovery  hopeless.  He  was 
greatly  afflicted ;  and,  kneeling  at  her  bedside,  he 
offered  the  most  fervent  petitions  to  the  great  Dis- 
poser of  events  for  her  recovery.  He  remained  at 
home  after  her  death,  to  offer  what  consolation  he 
could  to  Mrs.  Washington.  Great  difficulty  had  been 
experienced  by  Washington  in  the  office  of  guardian 
to  John  Parke  Custis,  who  was  the  centre  of  his  mo- 
ther's hopes,  on  account  of  the  decease  of  her  daughter. 
He  was  a  sensitive  and  susceptible  youth  ;  possessed 
a  large  and  independent  fortune;  and  his  mother 
greatly  indulged  him.  An  Episcopal  clergyman  had 
been  his  instructor  at  Annapolis,  but  he  often  neg- 
lected his  studies,  and  joined  the  family  at  Mount  Ver 
11 


122  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

non.  His  education  was  consequently  very  imperfect. 
When  his  guardian  returned  from  the  Ohio,  he  found 
that  a  resolution  had  been  adopted  to  send  him  on 
his  travels  with  his  clerical  tutor.  The  scheme  was 
given  up  at  the  prudent  intervention  of  Washington, 
after  which  he  formed  a  matrimonial  engagement. 
Washington  opposed  the  marriage  also,  as  being  too 
premature,  and  wrote  to  this  effect  to  the  lady's  father, 
Mr.  Benedict  Calvert.  He  then  took  young  Custis 
to  New  York,  and  placed  him  in  King's  College,  an 
institution  now  known  as  Columbia  College.  This 
event  occurred  previous  to  the  death  of  his  sister;  and 
within  a  year  afterward,  before  he  had  attained  the 
age  of  twenty,  he  married  the  object  of  his  affection, 
on  February  3d,  1774.  Washington  at  that  time  made 
no  opposition  to  the  match,  though  he  was  opposed  to 
early  marriages  as  well  as  to  early  travel. 

The  Earl  of  Dunmore  had  been  appointed  Governor 
of  Virginia  on  the  death  of  Lord  Botetourt.  Differ- 
ences with  the  Assembly  caused  him  to  prorogue  it ; 
but  a  convention  of  it  became  necessary  in  March, 
1773.  A  committee  of  eleven  was  appointed  to  ob- 
tain accurate  intelligence  of  those  acts  and  resolutions 
of  the  British  Parliament  which  affected  the  interests 
of  Virginia,  and  also  to  open  communications  with  the 
sister  colonies.  These  committees  accomplished  much 
for  the  cause  of  liberty.  Friendly  relations  were 
maintained  by  Washington  with  Lord  Dunmore;  and 
at  the  time  of  the  lamented  death  of  Miss  Custis,  he 
had  intended  to  accompany  his  lordship  on  a  tour  to 
the  western  frontiers,  but  that  bereavement  interfered 
with  the  arrangement. 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  123 

During  several  years  no  tea  was  imported  into  the 
colonies ;  but  orders  were  issued  in  1773  to  the  East 
India  Company,  to  send  several  cargoes  to  America ; 
and  as  large  quantities  had  accumulated,  it  was' re- 
solved to  force  the  purchase  of  the  tea  on  the  colo- 
nies. Several  ships  were  freighted  with  the  commo 
dity,  but  the  people  of  New  York  and  Philadelphia 
would  not  permit  it  to  be  landed.  At  Charleston  it 
was  unloaded,  but  it  was  ruined  in  the  damp  cellars. 
At  Boston  the  inhabitants,  disguised  as  Indians, 
boarded  the  ships  on  the  night  of  December  18th, 
forced  open  the  chests,  and  threw  the  tea  into  the 
sea.  To  humble  and  punish  the  Bostonians,  the  con- 
centrated wrath  of  the  British  Government  was  vented 
by  an  act  called  the  Boston  Port  Bill,  by  which  the 
port  of  Boston  was  blockaded,  and  the  custom-house 
transferred  to  Salem,  in  June,  1774.  The  judges  of 
the  courts  were  to  be  appointed  by  the  king,  and 
offences  were  to  be  tried  thenceforth  in  Great  Britain. 

Washington  had  dined  with  Lord  Dunmore  on  the 
16th  of  May;  the  House  of  Burgesses  had  been  con- 
vened ;  and  a  ball  was  resolved  upon  to  compliment 
Lady  Dunmore,  who  had  recently  joined  her  husband 
with  her  numerous  family  of  sons  and  daughters. 
All  seemed  propitious  till  the  news  of  the  Boston  Port 
Bill  arrived,  and  both  pleasure  and  business  were 
then  laid  aside.  The  1st  of  June  was  appointed  as 
a  day  of  humiliation  and  prayer.  On  the  next  day, 
when  in  the  midst  of  an  animated  debate,  Lord  Dun- 
rnore  sent  for  the  Burgesses  to  appear  at  the  council 
chamber ;  and  in  a  laconic  speech  immediately  de- 
clared the  House  dissolved.  The  Burgesses  adjourned 


124  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

to  the  Raleigh  tavern,  and  resolved  that  the  Boston 
Port  Bill  was  inimical  to  the  liberties  of  North  Ame- 
rica; recommended  the  disuse  of  all  East  Indian 
commodities;  declared  taxation  an  attack  on  the 
rights  of  all  the  colonies;  ordered  a  communication 
to  be  opened  with  the  colonies,  and  recommended  a 
general  organization,  or  congress,  to  meet  annually. 
"Washington  and  the  Burgesses  were  still  on  good 
terms  with  his  lordship,  notwithstanding  their  differ- 
ences of  opinion  and  policy. 

On  the  1st  of  June,  1774,  the  Boston  Port  Bill  was 
carried  into  effect,  and  General  Gage  appointed  to 
execute  the  designs  of  the  British  Cabinet,  being  ap- 
pointed to  the  military  command  of  Massachusetts. 
He  thought  that  with  five  regiments  he  could  keep 
Boston  in  subjection.  At  the  suggestion  of  the  As- 
serfibly,  a  paper  called  "  a  solemn  league  and  cove- 
nant" was  put  in  circulation  by  the  committee  of  cor- 
respondence. The  subscribers  were  bound  by  it  to 
cease  all  intercourse  with  Great  Britain,  and  with 
those  who  refused  to  enter  the  compact,  till  their  char- 
tered and  invaded  rights  should  be  restored.  Alarm 
pervaded  the  country  when  it  became  known  that 
Boston  was  blockaded.  Washington  was  appointed 
moderator  of  a  meeting  held  in  Fairfax  County,  in 
the  end  of  June ;  and  was  chosen  chairman  of  a  com- 
mittee to  draw  up  resolutions,  and  report  them  to  the 
general  meeting  to  take  place  in  the  court-house  on 
the  18th  of  July.  Bryan  Fairfax,  the  brother  of 
George  "William,  was  shocked  at  the  course  affairs 
were  taking ;  and  in  a  letter  to  "Washington  advised 
the  sending  of  a  petition  to  the  king.  "Washington 


OP    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  125 

answered  that  it  would  be  useless,  as  this  had  been 
frequently  done  already.  When  the  committee  assem- 
bled, of  which  Washington  was  the  chairman,  reso- 
lutions were  offered  involving  the  various  matters  at 
issue.  He  was  appointed  a  delegate  to  the  general 
convention  of  the  province,  to  meet  at  Williamsburg 
on  the  1st  of  August.  On  the  assembling  of  this  con- 
vention, he  is  said  to  have  spoken  with  great  earnest- 
ness; which  was  a  proof  of  his  zeal  in  the  cause,  as  he 
was  not  ordinarily  vehement  in  speech.  It  is  affirmed 
that  his  enthusiasm  rose  very  high ;  and  that  he  de- 
clared himself  ready  to  raise  one  thousand  men,  sup- 
port them  at  his  own  expense,  and  march  at  their 
head  to  relieve  Boston. 

General  Gage  was  in  great  perplexity  as  to  the 
proper  policy  to  be  pursued  toward  the  inhabitants 
of  Boston.  They  acted  with  so  much  coolness  and 
determination,  that  he  did  not  know  how  to  proceed 
in  reference  to  them ;  whereas,  had  their  conduct 
been  disorderly,  his  duty  would  have  been  plain  and 
easy.  The  commerce  of  the  city  was  at  an  end ;  the 
wharfs  were  deserted,  and  the  grass  beginning  to 
grow  in  the  streets;  but  everything  was  conducted 
with  the  utmost  decorum,  though  town  meetings  took 
place  frequently.  These  meetings  produced,  at  length, 
so  powerful  an  effect,  as  to  require  an  act  of  govern- 
ment forbidding  them ;  but  they  still  were  held, 
the  liberty  tree  became  a  rallying  place  for  every 
popular  movement,  and  a  flag  hoisted  on  its  summit 
was  saluted  by  the  citizens  as  the  emblem  of  the 
rights  and  purposes  of  the  people. 
11* 


126  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

FIRST  CONTINENTAL  CONGRESS  IN  PHILADELPHIA  —  ITS  PROCEEDINGS 
— WASHINGTON  AT  MOUNT  VERNON  —  GENERALS  PUTNAM  AND  LEK 
IN  BOSTON  —  THEIR  ANTECEDENTS  —  MAJOR  GATES  AND  THE  VISIT- 
ORS AT  MOUNT  VERNON  —  LEfi's  FONDNESS  FOR  SINGULAR  PETS  — 

WASHINGTON  A  DELEGATE  TO  THE  RICHMOND  CONVENTION SPEECH 

OF   PATRICK   HENRY  —  WASHINGTON'S   CONVICTIONS   CORROBORATED 

—  BATTLES    OF     LEXINGTON     AND    CONCORD  —  THE   WAR    BEGUN 

VIEWS   OF   WASHINGTON. 

PATRICK  HENRY  and  Edmund  Pendleton  joined 
"Washington  at  Mount  Vernon,  and  in  his  company 
proceeded  to  Philadelphia,  to  attend  the  first  Conti- 
nental Congress,  which  assembled  in  that  city  on 
Monday,  the  5th  of  September,  1774,  in  Carpenter's 
Hall.  All  the  colonies,  Georgia  alone  excepted,  were 
represented  on  this  memorable  occasion,  which  saw 
fifty-one  delegates  convened  to  lay  the  foundations  of 
a  mighty  empire.  A  preliminary  question  having 
arisen  respecting  the  way  in  which  votes  should  be 
taken,  on  account  of  the  inequality  of  the  number  of 
delegates  from  different  colonies,  Patrick  Henry  repu- 
diated the  idea  of  sectional  distinctions.  Said  he: 
" /  am  not  a  Virginian,  but  an  American"  It  was 
finally  determined  that  each  colony  should  have  one 
vote ;  and  Mr.  Duche,  an  Episcopal  clergyman,  being 
invited  to  officiate  as  chaplain,  engaged  in  prayer. 
In  the  lesson  for  the  seventh  day,  the  Psalter  contains 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  127 

the  thirty-fifth  Psalm,  where  David  prays  for  the  Di- 
vine protection  :  "  Take  hold  of  shield  and  buckler, 
and  stand  up  for  my  help.  Draw  out,  also,  the  spear, 
and  stop  the  way  of  them  that  persecute  me.  Say 
unto  my  soul,  I  am  thy  salvation."  It  has  been  re- 
marked that  Washington  knelt  on  this  occasion, 
while  others  stood.  It  was  an  impressive  season,  and 
every  one  was  affected  with  the  prayer  offered  up  in 
such  peculiar  circumstances.  The  Congress  was  held 
with  closed  doors;  but  a  deep  and  significant  silence 
prevailed,  which  was  at  length  broken  by  the  eloquent 
speech  of  Patrick  Henry,  and  by  the  chaste  and  clas- 
sical address  of  Richard  Henry  Lee. 

Congress,  by  a  resolution,  declared  their  opinion 
respecting  the  late  acts  of  Parliament,  terming  them  a 
violation  of  the  rights  of  the  people  of  Massachusetts, 
and  expressing  their  resolution  to  resist  in  case  of  ne- 
cessity. In  "  a  declaration  of  colonial  rights"  which 
they  adopted,  they  claimed  all  the  privileges  of  Eng- 
lishmen, and  the  power  of  legislating  in  provincial 
assemblies.  They  asserted  that  the  common  law  of 
England  was  their  birthright,  and  regarded  the  main- 
tenance of  a  standing  army  as  unconstitutional  and 
subversive  of  their  liberties.  The  acts  of  Parliament 
in  the  reign  of  George  the  Third,  known  as  "  the 
sugar  act,  the  stamp  act,  the  two  acts  for  quartering 
troops,  and  the  tea  act,"  were  specified  as  infringe- 
ments of  their  franchises.  The  chief  measures  of 
this  Congress  were  remarkable  for  unanimity  and 
acuteness;  and  the  papers  prepared  by  it  are  acknow- 
ledged to  be  master-pieces  of  practical  talent  and  po- 
litical sagacity.  What  part  Washington  took  in  the 


128  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

debates  of  this  session  is  not  certainly  known,  as  the 
discussions  were  involved  in  secrecy.  Doubtless  they 
were  worthy  of  himself  and  beneficial  to  his  country. 
He  returned  to  Mount  Vernon  ;  and  his  presence  there 
was  more  necessary  to  cheer  Mrs.  "Washington,  in  her 
loneliness,  after  the  decease  of  her  daughter,  as 
George  "William  Fairfax  had  returned  to  England,  to 
take  possession  of  immense  wealth  to  which  he  had 
fallen  heir.  Belvoir,  his  Virginia  estate,  was  left  in 
charge  of  the  steward  of  Mount  Vernon  ;  an  accident 
subsequently  burnt  the  mansion  to  the  ground,  and 
it  was  never  rebuilt. 

A  report  had  prevailed,  during  the  sittings  of  the 
Congress,  that  Boston  was  cannonaded.  The  people 
of  Massachusetts  had  become  excited  by  the  presence 
of  a  menacing  military  force,  and  disciplined  them- 
selves, accumulating  arms  and  ammunition  in  seve- 
ral places,  for  the  purpose  of  meeting  emergencies. 
Gage  ordered  all  these  magazines  to  be  seized,  and  in 
particular  the  arsenal  northwest  of  Charlestown. 

News  of  its  capture  having  spread  abroad,  thou- 
sands of  patriots  collected,  and  were  with  difficulty 
kept  from  marching  toward  Boston.  Gage  became 
surprised  that  so  many  of  the  other  provinces  took  an 
interest  in  the  proceedings  occurring  in  Massachu- 
setts. Commissions  that  arrived  for  colonial  officers 
were  not  accepted;  or,  if  accepted,  were  soon  re- 
signed ;  and  Generals  Putnam  and  Charles  Lee  ap- 
peared on  a  visit  to  Boston.  Putnam  was  a  veteran 
soldier;  had  served  atLouisburg,  atFortDuquesne,  and 
at  Crown  Point.  He  was  taken  by  the  Indians  and 
condemned  to  be  burnt,  but  was  rescued;  and  after 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  129 

returning  again  to  rural  pursuits,  his  patriotic  heart 
was  stirred  within  him.  He  was  appointed  chairman 
of  the  committee  of  vigilance,  and  the  line  of  his  du- 
ties led  him  to  Boston.  General  Charles  Lee  was  an 
Englishman  by  birth,  had  served  under  Abercrombie 
and  Prideaux,  and  was  distinguished  in  a  number  of 
battles.  He  had  served  in  Portugal  with  renown ; 
was  aide-de-camp  to  the  monarch  of  that  country; 
returned  to  England  in  1766,  and  in  1769  entered  the 
Polish  service  with  the  rank  of  major-general.  He 
arrived  in  America  in  1773,  and  at  once  took  an 
active  part  in  the  political  agitations  of  the  country. 
He  went  to  Boston,  according  to  his  own  account,  out 
of  mere  curiosity  to  see  a  people  placed  in  such  sin- 
gular circumstances.  A  self-elected  assembly  of 
ninety  members  convened  at  Salem,  and  voted  them- 
selves a  provincial  Congress,  choosing  John  Hancock 
as  their  president.  Officers  were  appointed,  and  a 
militia  organized,  with  an  order  and  system  which 
proved  formidable  to  General  Gage. 

General  Charles  Lee  and  Major  Horatio  Gates  were 
frequent  guests  at  Mount  Vernon,  after  their  return 
to  Virginia;  and  Washington  was  pleased  with  their 
visits  at  that  time,  inasmuch  as  they  were  skilled  in 
military  affairs,  and  both  w.ere  interested  in  the  popu- 
lar cause.  Major  Gates  was  an  Englishman,  liberally 
educated,  and  had  served  as  a  volunteer  with  General 
Edward  Cornwallis,  Governor  of  Halifax.  He  was 
Bounded  in  the  defeat  of  Braddock ;  and  subse- 
quently, as  major  of  brigade,  he  accompanied  General 
Monckton  to  the  West  Indies,  and  distinguished  him- 
self at  the  capture  of  Martinique.  He  was  appointed 

i 


130  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

major  of  a  regiment  of  foot,  and  received  a  commis- 
sion in  the  royal  troops.  He  sold  out  hia  commis- 
sion, emigrated  to  Virginia  in  1772,  and  then  became 
acquainted  and  intimate  with  Washington.  This  sin- 
gular man  had  a  prodigious  passion  for  dogs,  which 
he  trained  to  take  their  seats  with  him  at  table;  be- 
cause, as  he  said,  he  "must  have  some  object  to 
embrace."  With  Putnam,  Lee,  and  Gates,  Washing- 
ton became  afterward  closely  connected,  during  the 
memorable  struggle  for  independence. 

Washington  attended  the  second  Virginia  conven- 
tion at  Richmond  in  March,  1755,  as  a  delegate  from 
Fairfax  County.  Patrick  Henry,  in  a  speech  delivered 
at  that  time,  said :  "  We  must  fight,  Mr.  Speaker ;  I 
repeat  it,  sir,  we  must  fight!  An  appeal  to  arms  and 
the  God  of  Hosts,  is  all  that  is  left  us."  Such  was 
also  the  conviction  of  Washington,  and  he  suggested 
a  plan  for  carrying  on  the  war;  for  though  not  one 
of  the  first  to  take  up  arms,  he  was  the  person  best 
fitted  for  marshalling  troops,  and  vigorously  carrying 
on  the  conflict  in  the  face  of  danger  and  difficulty. 
"  It  is  my  full  intention,"  said  he,  in  a  letter  to  his 
brother,  "  if  needful,  to  devote  my  life  and  fortune  to 
the  cause." 

Open  hostilities  at  length  commenced.  Four  thou- 
sand men  had  been  added  to  the  British  troops  in 
Boston.  General  Gage  determined  to  seize  the  maga- 
zine at  Concord,  and  detached  a  force  on  the  18th  of 
April,  1775,  to  carry  that  design  into  effect.  Dr. 
Joseph  Warren  sent  information  of  the  affair  to  John 
Hancock  and  Samuel  Adams,  and  the  committee  of 
safety  ordered  the  cannon  to  be  collected,  and  part 


OP    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  131 

of  the  stores  to  be  removed.  Dr.  "Warren  dispatched 
two  messengers  by  different  routes  to  give  warning 
of  the  approach  of  the  king's  troops.  They  arrived 
at  Boston  before  the  orders  had  been  promulgated, 
that  no  one  should  leave  the  town.  A  lantern  was,  at 
the  same  time,  according  to  a  signal  agreed  upon,  sus- 
pended from  the  upper  window  of  a  church  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Charlestown ;  and  thus  the  adjacent  country  re- 
ceived the  alarm.  Guns  were  fired,  and  the  sound  of 
the  village  bells  assured  Colonel  Smith  that  the  coun- 
try was  rising.  He  was  but  a  few  miles  distant,  and 
sent  back  for  reinforcements.  Major  Pitcairn  was 
sent  with  six  companies,  and  orders  were  given  to 
seize  the  bridge  of  Concord.  Pitcairn  was  within  a 
mile  and  a  half  of  Lexington  before  a  horseman  had 
alarmed  the  village.  Drums  were  beaten,  guns  were 
fired,  and  when  he  approached  the  church,  about 
eighty  yeomen  were  equipped  and  marshalled  on  the 
green.  Pitcairn  rode  up,  waved  his  sword,  and  ex- 
claimed: "Disperse,  ye  villains!  Lay  down  your 
arms,  ye  rebels,  and  disperse."  The  order  was  un- 
heeded, and  a  discharge  of  musketry  took  place  on 
both  sides.  The  fire  was  irregular,  but  that  of  the 
British  produced  the  greater  effect.  Ten  were  killed 
and  eight  wounded,  and  the  patriots  were  put  to 
flight. 

When  Colonel  Smith  marched  forward  within  six 
miles  of  Concord,  the  country  was  aroused,  the  militia 
were  mustered  on  the  parade-ground  near  the  church, 
and  the  Lincoln  yeomanry  had  joined  them.  News 
had  arrived  that  the  British,  in  their  advance  to  Con- 
cord,  had  fired  on  the  people  of  Lexington.  Great 


132  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

indignation  prevailed  in  the  vicinity,  and  the  whole 
militia  pouring  out,  formed  two  battalions.  About 
seven  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  British  came  in 
sight  of  Concord.  Two  hours  were  taken  up  in  at- 
tempting to  destroy  the  military  stores,  but  with  little 
effect,  as  the  greater  part  of  them  had  been  removed. 
Meanwhile,  four  hundred  and  fifty  militia  were  col- 
lected at  Concord.  About  ten  o'clock  the  British  ap- 
proached them,  fired  upon  them,  and  killed  two  per- 
sons, wounding  a  third.  The  Americans  returned 
the  fire,  and  pursued  the  British  across  the  bridge. 
The  remaining  military  stores  were  destroyed,  the  dead 
buried,  and  the  wounded  put  on  conveyances.  Smith 
then  retreated  to  Boston.  His  troops  were  wearied, 
and  subjected  to  the  most  harrassing  retaliation  on 
the  part  of  the  assembled  and  hostile  yeomanry. 
Along  the  public  roads,  when  they  passed  through 
the  woods,  and  from  behind  walls  and  other  struc- 
tures, they  were  fired  upon,  and  many  of  them  slain. 
For  some  miles  they  had  to  march  through  woods, 
defiles,  or  places  skirted  by  fences,  and  there  many 
were  shot  down,  and  others  even  expired  from  sheer 
exhaustion.  Colonel  Smith  was  wounded  before  he 
reached  Lexington ;  and  Lord  Percy's  brigade  of  a 
thousand  men,  with  two  field-pieces,  met  them.  His 
brigade  opened  their  ranks,  and  forming  a  hollow 
square,  the  exhausted  men  lay  down  to  rest  upon  the 
ground.  He  commenced  to  fire  with  the  two  field- 
pieces,  and  thus  kept  the  Americans  at  bay.  The 
Provincials  had  fought  without  a  leader,  but  now 
General  Heath  led  them  on,  and  rallied  them  in  mar- 
tial array.  Dr.  Warren  rode  rapidly  from  Boston,  and 


OP    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  133 

became  one  of  the  most  efficient  officers  on  the  field. 
Lord  Percy  continued  the  retreat.  A  galling  fire  was 
kept  up  on  his  rear  by  the  Americans,  who  pursued 
him  at  every  step.  He  himself  made  a  narrow  escape 
from  death,  being  struck  by  a  ball,  which  glanced 
from  his  waistcoat  button. 

Washington  says  of  this  scene  :  "If  the  retreat  had 
not  been  as  precipitate  as  it  was  —  and  God  knows  it 
could  not  well  have  been  more  so  —  the  ministerial 
troops  must  have  surrendered,  or  been  totally  cut  off'." 
The  firing  was  heard  in  Boston,  and  when  Gage 
ascertained  the  result,  he  was  overwhelmed  with 
surprise  that  the  raw  recruits  of  the  Americans  could 
resist,  much  less  defeat,  the  well-trained  and  veteran 
troops  of  England.  The  British  in  this  engagement 
had  seventy-three  Killed,  and  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
four  wounded ;  the  Americans  forty-nine  killed,  thirty- 
nine  wounded,  and  five  missing. 

The  whole  country  now  became  fully  aroused  and 
inflamed.  The  condition  of  Virginia  at  this  period 
was  critical.  Lord  Dunmore  had  seized  the  muni- 
tions of  war  in  the  province.  The  cry  went  forth  that 
the  freedom  of  the  colonies  was  at  last  to  be  secured ; 
and  Washington  was  designated  as  the  proper  person 
to  assume  the  command  of  the  patriots.  He  was  at 
Mount  Vernon,  preparing  to  attend  the  second  Con- 
tinental Congress  as  a  delegate  from  Virginia,  when 
the  news  of  the  battle  at  Lexington  reached  him,  and 
cast  a  gloomy  shadow  over  the  charming  and  tranquil 
scene.  These  were  his  thoughts  on  this  crisis:  "Un- 
happy it  is  to  reflect,  that  a  brother's  sword  has  been 
eheathed  in  a  brother's  breast;  and  that  the  once 
12 


134  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

happy  and  peaceful  plains  of  America  are  to  Le  either 
drenched  with  blood,  or  inhabited  by  slaves.  Sad 
alternative  !  But  can  a  virtuous  man  hesitate  in  his 
choice  ?" 

The  Revolution  rapidly  advanced.  Thirty  thou- 
sand men  were  immediately  requisite  for  the  defence 
of  the  country ;  and  of  these  Massachusetts  gallantly 
resolved  to  raise  thirteen  thousand  five  hundred. 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  135 


CHAPTER  XV. 

BTHAN  ALLEN  AND  THE  GREEN  MOUNTAIN  BOYS — BENEDICT  ARNOLD 

CAPTURE  OF  TICONDEROGA  AND  CROWN  POINT  —  CANADA  OPENED 

TO  THE  PATRIOTS  —  THE  SECOND  CONGRESS  APPOINTS  WASHINGTON 
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF  OF  THE  CONTINENTAL  ARMY  —  HIS  REMARKS 
ON  THE  OCCASION  —  HE  SELECTS  HIS  GENERALS  AND  OFFICERS  — 
BRITISH  REINFORCEMENTS  UNDER.  HOWE — BURGOYNE  AND  CLIN- 
TON—  SEIZURE  OF  THE  HEIGHTS  OF  CHARLESTOWN  —  BREED'S  HILL 
AND  BUNKER  HILL  —  FORTIFICATIONS  —  SURPRISE  OF  GENERAL 
GAGE  —  THE  BATTLE  OF  BUNKER  HILL — ITS  RESULTS. 

THE  appeals  made  by  the  circular  letters  which 
were  issued  by  the  committee  of  safety,  met  with 
prompt  attention ;  and  bodies  of  militia  flocked  to  the 
standard  of  the  patriots  at  Boston,  from  New  Hamp- 
shire, Rhode  Island,  and  Connecticut.  "With  the 
troops  of  the  latter  came  Israel  Putnam,  who  had 
lately  been  appointed  brigadier-general.  The  com- 
mand of  the  camp  at  Boston  was  given  to  General 
Artemas  "Ward,  who  had  served  as  lieutenant-general 
under  Abercrombie. 

Some  bold  spirits  in  Connecticut  conceived  the  de- 
sign of  surprising  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point — an 
idea  secretly  favored  by  the  Legislature  of  Connecti- 
cut. The  greatest  accession  of  troops  came  from 
"The  New  Hampshire  Grants,"  on  which  Ethan 
Allen  and  his  lieutenants,  Seth  Warner  and  Remem- 
ber Baker,  had  once  set  the  authority  of  New  York  at 


136  THE    LIFE    AND    TIYFS 

defiance,  and  formed  an  association  called  the  "Green 
Mountain  Boys."  They  now  offered  their  services  in 
the  popular  cause,  and  with  two  hundred  and  seventy 
men,  under  Ethan  Allen,  an  advance  was  made  to 
Castleton,  near  Lake  Champlain.  Detachments  were 
sent  to  bring  all  the  boats  to  Shoreham,  opposite 
Ticonderoga.  At  Castleton  Benedict  Arnold  joined 
the  patriots.  He  also  entertained  designs  on  Ticon- 
deroga, and  had  been  appointed  to  raise  a  force  of 
four  hundred  men  in  "Western  Massachusetts.  He  has- 
tened to  overtake  the  march,  showed  his  commission, 
and  aspired  to  the  command;  but  the  Green  Mountain 
Boys  would  follow  no  leader  except  Ethan  Allen. 
Allen  and  Arnold  reached  the  fort  with  eighty  men; 
mounted  a  hill  under  the  direction  of  a  boy  in  the 
vicinity ;  baffled  the  first  sentry,  and  granted  the  life 
of  another  on  condition  of  being  led  to  the  quarters 
of  Captain  Delaplace,  the  commandant,  who  was  yet 
in  bed.  The  appearance  of  the  party  so  unexpectedly, 
greatly  astonished  him.  "By  whose  authority  do  you 
act?"  he  exclaimed.  "In  the  name  of  the  Great 
Jehovah  and  the  Continental  Congress,"  replied  Allen. 
The  garrison  of  forty  men  were  sent,  with  their  cap- 
tain, prisoners  of  war  to  Hartford.  The  fortress  was 
full  of  military  and  naval  stores. 

Colonel  Seth  Warner  was  now  sent  with  a  detach- 
ment against  Crown  Point,  which  surrendered  on  the 
12th  of  May,  1775.  The  garrison  consisted  of  twelve 
men  and  a  sergeant.  The  captors  found  in  it  upwards  of 
an  hundred  cannon.  Arnold  now  claimed  to  command 
Ticonderoga,  but  was  compelled  to  yield  to  the  greater 
popularity  of  Allen.  On  the  arrival  of  a  schooner 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  137 

and  some  boats,  a  project  was  formed  to  surprise  St. 
John's  on  the  Sorel  River,  the  frontier  port  of  Canada. 
Cannon  were  put  on  board,  and  Arnold,  who  was  a 
seaman,  took  the  command;  while  Allen  and  the 
Green  Mountain  Boys  embarked  in  the  boats.  Ar- 
nold outsailed  the  latter,  captured  the  garrison  of  St. 
John's,  consisting  of  twelve  men  and  a  sergeant,  a 
king's  sloop  carrying  seventy  guns,  two  brass  pounders 
and  seven  men  ;  and  hearing  that  troops  were  on  the 
way  from  Montreal  and  Chamblee,  sailed  off  with  his 
prisoners  and  prizes.  He  met  Allen,  who  had  been 
foiled  in  his  attempt  at  garrisoning  St.  John's  with 
Green  Mountain  Boys,  as  a  larger  force  had  arrived. 
He  therefore  returned  to  Ticonderoga.  This  gave 
the  patriots  the  command  of  the  Lakes  George  and 
Champlain,  and  opened  the  way  to  Canada. 

The  second  Congress  assembled  at  Philadelphia  on 
the  10th  of  May,  1775,  and  Washington  was  ap- 
pointed chairman  of  all  the  committees  having  juris- 
diction over  military  matters.  There  was  much  dis- 
cussion during  the  session  in  reference  to  the  army 
before  Boston,  and  the  subject  of  the  appointment  of 
a  commander-in-chief  engrossed  much  attention. 

On  the  15th  of  June,  1775,  the  pay  of  the  com- 
mander-in-chief was  fixed  at  five  hundred  dollars  a 
month.  The  forces  were  to  be  called  the  Continental 
Army,  and  that  under  General  Gage  the  Ministerial 
Army.  Mr.  Johnson,  of  Maryland,  rose  and  nomi- 
nated "Washington  for  the  post  of  commander-in- 
chief.  The  election  was  made  by  ballot,  and  was  unani- 
mous. Washington  then  rose  in  his  place,  and  gave 
expression  to  his  grateful  sense  of  the  honor  confe^-ed 
12* 


138  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

upon  him,  and  his  devotion  in  the  service  of  his 
country ;  but  he  added  that,  lest  some  unlucky  event 
should  happen  unfavorable  to  his  reputation,  he  de- 
sired every  gentleman  to  remember  that  he  declared, 
svith  the  utmost  sincerity,  that  he  did  not  think  him- 
self equal  to  the  command  with  which  he  was  honored. 
As  to  salary,  he  begged  leave  to  assure  the  Congress 
that,  as  no  pecuniary  consideration  could  have  tempted 
him  to  accept  this  arduous  trust  at  the  expense  of  his 
domestic  happiness,  he  did  not  wish  to  make  any 
profit  by  it.  He  declared  that  he  would  keep  an  exact 
account  of  his  expenses,  which,  he  did  not  doubt,  they 
would  discharge ;  and  that  was  all  he  desired.  Four 
major-generals  were  appointed.  General  Ward  was 
placed  second  in  command,  next  to  him  was  General 
Lee ;  the  other  two  were  Philip  Schuyler,  of  New 
York,  and  Israel  Putnam,  of  Connecticut.  Seth 
Pomeroy,  Richard  Montgomery,  David  Wooster, 
William  Heath,  Joseph  Spencer,  John  Thomas,  John 
Sullivan,  and  Nathaniel  Greene,  were  appointed 
brigadier-generals.  Major  Horatio  Gates,  at  the  re- 
quest of  Washington,  was  appointed  adjutant-general, 
with  the  rank  of  brigadier. 

Washington  received  his  commission  from  Congress 
on  the  20th  of  June,  and,  at  the  request  of  several 
officers,  made  a  review  of  some  companies  of  militia, 
horse  and  foot.  At  this  period  he  was  forty-three 
years  of  age;  and  as  he  sat -on  his  horse,  his  manly 
grace  and  commanding  presence  delighted  every 
beholder,  and  he  was  received  with  general  acclama- 
tions. 

Dunng  the  deliberations  of  Congress,  the  town  of 


OF    GEOKGE    WASHINGTON.  139 

Boston  was  blockaded,  water  was  cut  off  from  the 
country  around  it,  no  fresh  provisions  could  be  ob- 
tained, and  much  privation  was  suffered  by  the  oity 
in   consequence.      Reinforcements,    under   Generals 
Howe,  Burgoyne,  and   Clinton,  all  of  whom  were 
commanders  of  reputation,  arrived  on  the  25th  of 
May  from  England.     General   Gage   determined   to 
take  the  field ;  the  province  was  put  under  martial 
law,  and  pardon  was  offered  to  all  who  would  lay 
down  their  arms,  excepting  only  John  Hancock  and 
Samuel  Adams.      The  proclamation  had   no   other 
effect  than  that  of  putting  the  patriots  on  the  alert. 
Their  number  daily  increased,  and  at  length  amounted 
to  fifteen  thousand  men,  who  were  variously  distri- 
buted.   They  presented  a  miscellaneous  gathering  of 
four  distinct  bodies,  of  whom  ten  thousand  belonged 
to  Massachusetts,  under  the  command  of  Artemas 
Ward.     His  head-quarters  were  at  Cambridge.     The 
troops  were  mostly  undisciplined  recruits,  and  many 
of  them  were  without  military  accoutrements.    They 
were  distributed  over  a  space  of  ten  or  twelve  miles 
Boston,  at  that  period,  had  a  population  of  seventeen 
thousand ;   and  the  garrison  of  British  troops,  well 
disciplined,  amounted  to  ten  thousand.     They  were 
hemmed  in  by  the  besiegers,  and  an  engagement  was 
desired  on  both  sides,  in  which  each  felt  confident  of 
success.     A  project  was  formed  to  seize  the  heights 
of  the  peninsula,  opposite  to  the  north  side  of  Boston, 
called  Charlestown.    Secret  intelligence  had  informed 
the  Americans  of  the  intention  of  General  Gage  to 
seize  Dorchester  Heights  on  the  18th  of  June ;  and 
this  determined  them  to  hurry  forward  the  project  of 


140  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

taking  Charlestown  Heights.  These  had  lately  been 
reconnoitred  by  Richard  Fridley,  an  experienced 
engineer.  For  this  purpose  troops  were  detached 
from  the  Massachusetts  regiments,  including  two  hun- 
dred men  under  Captain  Knowlton,  from  Putnam's 
Connecticut  troops,  and  forty-nine  artillery-men,  with 
two  field-pieces,  under  Captain  Samuel  Gridley. 

The  time  agreed  on  for  the  attack  was  the  16th  of 
June  ;  and  at  sunset  twelve  hundred  men  met  on  the 
common  before  General  Ward's  quarters,  with  packs, 
blankets,  and  twenty-four  hours'  provisions.  After 
prayers  they  set  out  in  silence,  ignorant  of  their  des- 
tination. Colonel  Prescott  was  chosen  to  command 
the  enterprise,  and  he  carried  written  orders  to  fortify 
and  defend  Bunker  Hill  till  it  was  relieved ;  Colonel 
Richard  Gridley  was  to  plan  the  fortifications,  and 
reinforcements  were  to  be  sent  to  aid  the  fatigue 
party  in  the  morning.  The  detachment  with  Colonel 
Prescott  at  its  head,  left  Cambridge  at  nine  o'clock, 
and  was  joined  at  Charlestown  Neck  by  Major  Brooks 
and  General  Putnam.  It  was  here  that  the  wagons, 
which  were  full  of  tools  for  intrenchmeut,  suggested 
to  the  men  the  first  idea  of  the  purpose  intended. 
They  now  came  near  the  ground,  over  which  the 
British  kept  constant  watch,  having  erected  a  battery 
almost  opposite  to  Charlestown.  Five  vessels  were 
stationed  so  as  to  command  Charlestown  Neck.  Col 
Prescott  led  his  men  across  this  isthmus  without 
being  discovered,  and  began  the  ascent  of  Bunker 
Hill,  whose  altitude  is  a  hundred  and  twelve  feet;  the 
summit  being  reached  by  a  declivity  which  extends 
from  the  Neck  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  about  three  hun- 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  141 

dred  yards ;  and  then,  declining  south,  connects  with 
Breed's  Hill,  whose  height  is  about  seventy  feet.  The 
hi!  1-tops  are  seven  hundred  yards  from  each  other.  The 
height  being  attained,  the  next  point  to  be  decided  was, 
which  hill  should  first  be  fortified  ?  The  written  orders 
designated  Bunker  Hill,  but  Breed's  Hill  was  nearest 
to  Boston,  and  commanded  both  it  and  the  shipping. 
After  a  good  deal  of  debate  on  the  question,  as  tho 
night  waned,  it  was  determined  to  fortify  Breed's 
Hill,  and  the  enterprise  was  undertaken  with  great 
spirit ;  but,  in  consequence  of  having  wasted  much 
time  in  discussion,  it  was  midnight  before  they  com- 
menced. Prescott  assumed  the  responsibility  of  the 
occasion,  and  sent  twice  to  the  water's  edge  to  observe 
the  enemy.  All  was  still  quiet  there,  so  that  the 
sentry's  cry  of  "All's  well"  could  be  distinctly  heard 
in  the  streets  of  Boston,  as  well  as  the  call  of  the 
watch  on  board  the  ships  of  war  in  the  port. 

The  labor  of  erecting  intrenchments  proceeded  with 
such  energy  and  spirit,  that  by  the  dawn  of  day  a 
strong  redoubt,  with  a  breastwork  partly  cannon- 
proof,  connected  the  summit  of  Breed's  Hill  with  the 
slough.  The  purpose  of  Prescott  was  accomplished ; 
but  in  the  morning  the  Lively,  the  nearest  ship, 
brought  her  guns  to  bear,  and  fired  upon  the  hill. 
Other  ships  in  the  port  did  the  same.  One  man  was 
killed ;  and  when  the  question  was  propounded  to  Pres- 
cott what  was  to  be  done,  his  laconic  answerwas:  "Bury 
him."  His  fall  had  an  effect  on  some  of  his  comrades, 
who  left  the  hill,  and  did  not  return.  The  cannon- 
ading disturbed  the  morning  slumbers  of  the  Bos- 
tonians,  and  of  General  Gage,  who  could  scarcely 


142  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

believe  the  testimony  of  his  senses.  Seeing  the  tall 
figure  of  Prescott,  he  was  anxious  to  know  his  name, 
and  whether  he  would  fight.  Being  answered  in  the 
affirmative,  he  replied :  "  Then  the  works  must  be 
carried."  He  summoned  a  council  of  war,  in  which 
a  majority,  among  whom  were  Clinton  and  Grant, 
advised  that  troops  should  be  landed  on  Charlestown 
Neck,  and  attack  and  dislodge  the  Americans,  under 
the  cover  of  the  batteries.  Gage  objected  to  this 
plan,  because  it  would  place  his  army  under  two  fires. 
He  considered  it  better  to  push  directly  up  the  hill ; 
and  thought  that  in  a  hand-to-hand  encounter,  raw 
militia  would  be  wholly  inefficient  in  comparison  with 
his  disciplined  troops. 

The  bustle  of  military  preparations  at  length  in- 
formed the  wearied  Americans  that  the  town  of  Bos- 
ton was  alarmed,  and  that  disciplined  soldiers  were 
mustering  to  attack  the  rudely-fortified  height.  After 
some  delay,  Colonels  Stark  and  Read  marched  to  the 
relief  of  Prescott.  Each  soldier  received  two  flints, 
fifteen  balls,  and  a  gill  of  powder ;  which,  as  it  had 
not  been  put  up  in  cartridges,  had  to  be  carried  in 
powder-horns,  or  loosely  in  the  pocket.  The  balls, 
also,  had  to  be  suited  to  the  calibre  of  the  different 
guns,  as  in  many  instances  they  varied  in  size.  The 
troops  on  Breed's  Hill  gallantly  bore  the  fire  from  the 
ships  and  the  battery  on  Copp's  Hill,  returning  an 
occasional  shot,  the  men  fortifying  themselves  more 
strongly ;  and  at  11  o'clock,  having  placed  their  in- 
trenching tools  in  the  rear,  with  anxious  impatience 
they  awaited  reinforcements  and  supplies.  Some  mis- 
understanding arose  between  Generals  Putnam  and 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  143 

Prescoti  about  the  intrenching  tools.  They  were 
afterward  taken  to  Bunker  Hill,  and  an  important 
breastwork  was  erected  under  the  direction  of  Put- 
nam. Twenty-eight  barges,  with  a  large  detachment 
of  grenadiers,  rangers,  and  light  infantry,  under  the 
command  of  Major-General  Howe,  making  a  splendid 
appearance,  in  well-appointed  military  equipments, 
were  seen  at  noon  crossing  in  parallel  lines  from  Bos- 
ton, while  a  heavy  fire  proceeded  from  the  ships  in  the 
port.  General  Howe  paused  on  Breed's  Hill.  The 
troops  were  more  strongly  intrenched  than  he  had 
expected,  and  he  sent  to  Gage  for  additional  forces 
and  ammunition.  In  the  meantime,  "grog"  was 
served  out  to  the  British  troops ;  and  the  American 
soldiers,  by  this  time  both  hungry  and  thirsty,  saw 
the  foe  eating  and  drinking.  Their  own  refreshment 
consisted  in  fortifying  their  position  better;  and  Put- 
nam, meantime,  sent  Captain  Knowlton  to  cover  a 
pass  which,  if  unguarded,  might  enable  the  enemy  to 
turn  their  flank,  and  seize  on  Bunker  Hill.  A  double 
fence  was  constructed  by  pulling  up  the  posts  and 
rails  of  other  fences,  and  filling  the  intervening  space 
with  newly-mown  hay.  While  this  work  was  being  ac- 
complished, Putnam  sent  his  son,  Captain  Putnam,  to 
hasten  the  march  of  the  troops  from  Cambridge ;  and 
meanwhile  the  veteran  Stark  arrived  with  five  hundred 
men.  Warren,  who  had  opposed  the  occupation  of 
the  heights,  arrived  at  two  o'clock,  to  aid  in  their 
perilous  defence.  He  declined  the  command  at  the 
post  offered  him  by  Putnam,  and  ultimately  took  his 
stand  at  the  redoubt.  Nearly  seven  hundred  feet 
intervened  between  the  redoubt  and  the  fences ;  but 


144  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

the  latter  proved  a  great  protection  to  the  redoubt 
notwithstanding. 

As  Warren  entered  the  redoubt,  the  troops  loudly 
cheered  him.  He  again  declined  the  command  ten- 
dered him  by  Prescott.  The  British,  anticipating  an 
easy  victory,  now  prepared  for  a  general  attack. 
While  General  Howe  was  to  advance  with  the  right 
wing,  and  turn  the  American  flank,  cutting  oft'  their 
retreat,  General  Pigot  was  ordered  to  ascend  and 
force  the  redoubt.  The  Americans  reserved  their  fire 
till  the  enemy  were  within  forty  paces,  and  then 
poured  upon  them  so  deadly  a  volley,  that  it  pro- 
duced immense  carnage.  Another  subsequent  ad- 
vance was  met  with  a  more  destructive  fire  than  be- 
fore ;  and  Pigot  was  compelled  to  retreat.  Stark, 
Read,  and  Knowltou,  forming  the  left  wing,  in  the 
meantime  were  attacked  in  their  positions  by  General 
Howe's  troops.  The  Americans  suffered  little  loss, 
and  had  orders  not  to  fire  till  the  enemy  were  within 
a  very  short  distance.  Some  of  them  neglected  this 
order;  whereupon  Putnam  swore  that  he  would  cut 
down  the  first  man  who  fired  contrary  to  orders.  At 
the  proper  time  rifles,  muskets,  and  fowling-pieces 
were  discharged  with  deadly  effect;  the  slaughter  be- 
came terrible,  and  the  British  were  put  to  confusion. 
The  advancing  enemy  halted ;  Prescott  praised  his 
men,  and  exhorted  them  to  restrain  their  next  fire  till 
Hie  word  of  command  was  given. 

The  British  ascended  again  to  attack  the  redoubt. 
Charlestown  was  now  in  flames;  and  the  thunder  oi 
artillery  from  the  ships,  the  bursting  of  bombs,  the 
report  of  musketry,  and  the  shouts  of  those  engaged 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  145 

in  the  deadly  strife,  were  terrible.  The  Americans 
again  reserved  their  fire  till  the  enemy  was  near,  and 
then  poured  in  another  volley  with  the  most  dreadful 
result.  The  continued  and  irregular  stream  of  fire 
caused  the  enemy  to  stagger,  as  they  advanced  after 
the  first  shock.  Whole  ranks  were  then  mowed  down ; 
many  officers  were  slain  or  wounded ;  and  the  enemy 
again  retreated.  These  achievements  were  performed 
in  the  presence  of  thousands  of  every  age  and  sex, 
who  beheld  them  from  the  roofs  and  towers  of  Boston. 
General  Howe's  officers  remonstrated  against  a  third 
attack  in  front;  and  it  was  then  resolved  to  take  the 
redoubt  in  flank,  where  a  weak  point  was  presented 
between  the  breastwork  and  the  fortified  fence. 

The  Americans  were  now  found  to  be  in  want  of 
ammunition,  and  the  foe  prepared  to  take  advantage 
of  this  misfortune,  and  carry  the  works  at  the  point 
of  the  bayonet.  General  Howe  led  the  main  body 
against  the  fortified  fence,  and  a  severe  fire  drove  the 
Americans  from  the  breastwork ;  while  balls  entered 
the  sallyports,  and  great  damage  was  effected.  The 
works  were  again  assaulted;  the  Americans  fired  with 
fatal  precision,  which  carried  death  to  several  officers, 
and  General  Howe  himself  was  wounded.  But  his 
soldiers  now  rushed  forward  with  fixed  bayonets,  and 
Pigot  and  Clinton  advanced,  so  that  the  redoubt  was 
attacked  on  three  sides  simultaneously.  Several 
mounted  to  the  back  of  the  redoubt.  The  first  ex- 
claimed: "The  day  is  ours."  He  was  instantly  shot 
down.  Their  ammunition  being  exhausted,  the  Ame- 
ricans fought  hand  to  hand  with  desperate  courage, 
using  their  bayonets,  the  butt-ends  of  muskets,  and 
13  K 


146  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

even  stones.  Prescott  then  gave  the  order  to  retreat ; 
two  divisions  cut  their  way  through  the  enemy,  and 
the  patriotic  Warren  received  a  mortal  wound. 

While  these  events  were  being  enacted,  Stark,  Read, 
and  Knowlton,  the  brave  defenders  of  the  fortified 
fence,  resisted  till  after  Colonel  Prescott  had  left  the 
hill.  Their  purpose  being  effected,  they  abandoned 
the  weak  outpost,  and  retired  slowly,  with  admirable 
order.  Among  the  valuable  officers  who  fell  in  this 
battle  was  Major  Pitcairn.  The  heroic  Warren,  whom 
his  friends  had  in  vain  dissuaded  from  the  perils  of 
this  conflict,  died,  repeating  the  beautiful  and  patriotic 
words  of  the  Roman  poet :  Dulce  et  decorum  est,  pro 
patria  mori.  His  death  was  an  incalculable  loss  to 
his  country. 

The  British,  in  this  memorable  battle,  had  one 
thousand  men  slain  and  wounded,  out  of  three  thou- 
sand; while  the  American  loss  was  four  hundred  and 
fifty,  out  of  fifteen  hundred.  This  conflict  taught  the 
patriots  that  they  could  cope  successfully  with  the 
best  troops  of  England,  even  when  commanded  by 
her  most  distinguished  generals. 


OP    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  147 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

WASHINGTON'S  JOURNEY  TO  THE  ARMY  —  ITS  CONDITION  AND  DEFI- 
CIENCY IN  POWDER,  CLOTHING,  AND  INTRENCHING  TOOLS  —  THS 
FORCES  OP  THE  ENEMY,  THEIR  POSITION,  SUPERIOR  DISCIPLINE, 

AND   EQUIPMENTS  —  GENERAL   GREENE THE   COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF 

ENFORCES  STRICT  DISCIPLINE  —  HIS  ESTABLISHNENT  AT  HEAD" 
QUARTERS  —  GREAT  ANXIETY  IN  CONSEQUENCE  OF  THE  WANT  OF 
POWDER  —  WRITES  FOR  A  SUPPLY  TO  TICONDEROGA  AND  THE  JER- 
SEYS—  BOLD  PROJECT  —  CORRESPONDENCE  WITH  GENERAL  GAGE  — 
ITS  EFFECTS  —  DESCRIPTION  OF  EVENTS  TRANSPIRING  AT  A  DIS- 
TANCE FROM  HEAD-QUARTERS  —  RIVALRY  OF  ARNOLD  AND  ALLEN 
—  PROJECTS  FOR  THE  POSSESSION  OF  CANADA. 

WHEN  General  Washington  had  advanced  twenty 
miles  from  Philadelphia,  on  his  way  to  the  army 
posted  at  Boston,  accompanied  by  Generals  Schuyler 
and  Lee,  he  met  a  courier,  riding  at  full  speed,  carry- 
ing despatches  to  Congress,  with  tidings  of  the  bat- 
tle of  Bunker  Hill.  In  answer  to  his  eager  inquiry 
respecting  the  conduct  of  the  militia,  he  was  assured 
of  their  bravery,  their  reception  of  their  enemy's  fire, 
and  their  own  effective  fighting.  He  was  satisfied, 
and  exclaimed:  "The  liberties  of  the  country  are 
safe."  On  arriving  at  the  camp  at  Boston,  he  found 
the  army  numbered  fourteen  thousand  five  hundred 
men.  Several  circumstances  rendered  them  less  effi- 
cient than  might  have  been  expected  from  their  num- 
bers. The  time  had  not  been  well  employed  in  disci- 


148  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

pline  and  preparation,  as  it  was  hoped  that  an  open 
rupture  between  England  and  her  colonies  might 
have  been  avoided.  On  examining  the  magazines, 
soon  after  his  arrival,  Washington  ascertained  that 
only  nine  cartridges  could  be  furnished  to  each  sol- 
dier. The  supply  of  powder  was  not  to  be  obtained 
from  Congress,  but  from  committees  and  other  sources, 
who,  in  different  localities,  had  collected  small  quan- 
tities for  their  defence.  There  was  also  a  deficiency  in 
arms,  and  many  were  of  a  quality  so  inferior,  as  to 
render  them  nearly  useless.  The  troops  were  almost 
destitute  of  clothing,  and  had  no  tents  under  which 
to  be  sheltered.  The  siege  of  Boston  was  to  be  con- 
ducted without  engineers  or  intrenching  tools,  as 
there  was  so  great  a  deficiency  in  these  important 
requisites,  that  such  as  existed  were  scarcely  deserv- 
ing of  notice.  There  was  also  a  good  deal  of  dissatis- 
faction with  many,  respecting  the  officers  selected  by 
Congress;  the  officers,  in  some  of  the  colonies,  having 
been  chosen  by  the  soldiers,  and  were  therefore  very 
inimical  to  the  exercise  of  proper  discipline.  Yet  the 
general,  on  viewing  such  a  large  number  of  able- 
bodied  men,  who  were  zealous  in  the  cause  of  their 
country,  and  were  no  doubt  possessed  of  courage, 
was  pleased  to  find  that  he  had  "good  materials  for 
an  army,"  and  set  himself  about  organizing  and 
disciplining  it,  so  as  to  bring  it  up  to  the  necessary 
standard. 

On  making  particular  inquiries  respecting  the  situa- 
tion and  resources  of  the  enemy  intrenched  in  Bos- 
ton, "Washington  concluded  that  the  works  might  be 
taken,  though  the  effort  was  attended  with  difficulties. 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  149 

In  a  council  of  officers,  it  was  the  general  opinion 
that  an  assault  should  not  be  undertaken.  Beside 
Gen.  Gage,  Washington  was  brought  into  competition, 
in  this  contest,  with  three  other  distinguished  British 
commanders.  The  next  in  rank  to  Gage  was  General 
William  Howe,  who  possessed  a  noble  person,  was  six 
feet  in  height,  and  not  unlike  Washington  in  appear- 
ance. He  was  a  brother  of  Lord  Howe,  who  fell  on  the 
banks  of  Lake  George,  whose  death  the  colonies  had 
lamented.  He  had  commanded  the  light-infantry 
under  the  gallant  Wolfe,  when  he  was  slain  on  the 
Plains  of  Abraham.  General  Clinton  was  son  of  George 
Clinton,  a  former  Governor  of  New  York ;  and  had 
seen  service  on  the  continent  in  the  seven  years'  war. 
General  Burgoyne  was  a  natural  son  of  Lord  Bing- 
ley ;  he  early  entered  the  army ;  eloped  with  a  daughter 
of  Lord  Derby;  was  lieutenant-colonel  of  dragoons  in. 
1758;  and  in  1761  served  against  Spain.  He  was  also 
a  dramatist,  and  a  man  of  wit ;  had  been  elected  to  a 
seat  in  Parliament ;  and  in  1772  received  the  rank  of 
major-general. 

When  Washington  reconnoitred  the  camp  of  the 
British,  he  found  everything  in  admirable  order ;  the 
works  being  constructed  on  the  principles  of  military 
science,  and  the  troops  well  disciplined.  The  main 
force  under  General  Howe,  was  intrenching  itself  on 
Bunker  Hill,  near  the  late  battle-field.  Their  scar- 
let uniforms  presented  a  bright  and  striking  appear- 
ance as  they  gleamed  in  the  sunlight.  Washington  ob- 
served that  the  British  forces  lay  very  compactly,  and 
had  command  of  the  water;  so  that  their  main  strength 
might  be  made  to  bear  on  a  single  point,  and  thua 
13* 


150  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

divide  the  Americans.  One  of  the  American  encamp- 
ments claimed  his  admiration.  Tents  and  marquees 
were  pitched ;  the  soldiers  were  well  disciplined,  and 
their  equipments  were  complete.  Their  leader  was  one 
who  well  deserved  notice,  on  account  of  his  importance 
in  the  war.  The  father  of  Brigadier-General  Nathaniel 
Greene  was  an  anchor-smith  and  Quaker  preacher. 
His  heroic  son  was  born  in  May,  1742.  He  had  re- 
ceived only  a  limited  education,  but  was  endowed 
with  great  natural  talents.  His  spirit  had  been  roused 
by  the  late  warlike  demonstrations.  He  delighted  to 
study  the  military  art ;  perused  Caesar's  Commenta- 
ries and  Plutarch's  Lives  with  interest;  and  having 
gone  to  Boston,  observed  the  order  and  discipline  of 
the  British  troops.  In  June,  1775,  he  brought  three 
regiments  before  Boston,  which  proved  to  be  the  best 
appointed  in  the  army.  Greene  made  an  address  to 
the  general,  welcoming  him  to  the  camp.  He  seems 
to  have  gained  "Washington's  confidence  at  once.  He 
continued  always  one  of  his  most  faithful  aids,  and 
never  lost  his  esteem. 

"Washington,  observing  the  perilous  situation  of  the 
American  army,  on  account  of  the  length  and  weak- 
ness of  their  lines,  summoned  a  council  of  war.  The 
difficulty  was  considered  with  due  attention ;  and  it 
was  thought  that  an  abandonment  of  the  line  of  works, 
after  so  much  time  and  labor  had  been  expended  in 
their  construction,  would  be  impolitic,  disheartening 
to  the  soldiers,  and  leaving  a  large  tract  of  country 
open  to  the  ravages  of  the  enemy.  It  was  therefore 
concluded  best  to  strengthen  the  works,  occupy 
them,  and  augment  the  army  to  twenty  thousand 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  151 

men.  In  carrying  out  this  purpose,  General  Put- 
nam rendered  great  assistance ;  and,  as  Washington 
remarked,  he  "  seemed  to  have  the  faculty  of  infus- 
ing his  own  spirit  into  all  the  workmen  he  em- 
ployed." 

The  army  was  then  divided  into  three  parts.  The 
right  wing  commanded  the  heights  of  Eoxborough. 
It  was  under  the  command  of  Major-General  "Ward. 
The  left  wing  had  its  position  on  Prospect  Hill,  and 
was  placed  under  Major-General  Lee.  The  centre, 
stationed  at  Cambridge,  was  commanded  by  General 
Putnam  and  Brigadier-General  Heath.  The  most 
rigid  discipline  was  enforced  in  the  army.  Every 
one  was  made  to  know  his  place,  and  to  keep  it;  or 
if  neglecting  to  do  it,  received  thirty  lashes.  The 
greatest  distinction  was  observed  between  officers  and 
soldiers,  and  new  orders  were  read  to  each  regiment 
every  morning  after  prayers.  This  usage  was  thought 
to  be  partly  owing  to  General  Lee,  who  daily  inspected 
the  lines  with  the  commander,  and,  it  is  said,  once 
threatened  to  cane  an  officer  for  unsoldierly  conduct. 
The  Legislature  of  Massachusetts,  and  the  Governor 
of  Connecticut,  had  earnestly  solicited  a  detachment 
of  troops  for  the  defence  of  the  sea-coast  against 
armed  vessels ;  but  Washington,  having  consulted 
several  of  his  officers  and  members  of  the  Continental 
Congress  previous  to  making  his  reply,  respectfully 
declined  to  accede  to  the  request,  as  tending  to 
weaken  the  main  army.  This  refusal  produced  dis- 
satisfaction with  some  parties,  until  Congress  sanc- 
tioned it;  and  the  wisdom  of  the  determination  soon 
became  apparent. 


152  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

The  head-quarters  at  Cambridge  assigned  to  the 
general  manifested  liberality  on  the  part  of  the  As- 
sembly of  Massachusetts,  who  designated  the  house 
of  the  president  as  his  residence.  A  committee  was 
commissioned  to  procure  "a  steward,  a  housekeeper, 
and  two  or  three  women  cooks."  The  wishes  of  the 
commander-in-chief  were  to  be  complied  with  re- 
specting the  supplies  of  his  table ;  which,  from  his 
high  station,  required  to  be  furnished  in  hospitable 
style;  and  every  day  some  of  the  officers  dined  with 
him.  He  was  social,  but  not  convivial ;  and  though 
courteous  to  his  guests,  grave  matters  pressed  upon 
his  mind  too  heavily  to  allow  the  indulgences  of  the 
table.  He  subsisted  on  very  simple  fare;  and  at 
times,  only  on  baked  apples,  or  berries  with  cream. 
He  early  left  the  table,  and  on  retiring  an  aide-de- 
camp took  his  place.  The  great  purpose  of  Washing- 
ton now  was,  to  draw  the  enemy  out  of  Boston,  and 
try  the  issue  of  a  general  battle.  The  commander 
had  some  time  since  caused  all  the  live  stock  within 
reach  to  be  driven  back  into  the  country,  and  fresh 
provisions  could  not  be  obtained.  It  was  just  then 
that  the  scarcity  of  powder  was  discovered ;  and 
Washington  sent  letters  to  Rhode  Island,  the  Jerseys, 
and  Ticonderoga,  requesting  immediate  supplies,  and 
stating  that  any  quantity,  however  small,  would  be 
welcome.  Writing  to  Governor  Cooke,  of  Rhode 
Island,  he  suggested  that  an  armed  vessel  should  seize 
on  a  powder  magazine  in  the  island  of  Bermuda. 
Days  passed  by,  but  no  supplies  arrived.  It  did  not 
seem  possible  to  conceal  the  fatal  deficiency  much 
longer  from  the  enemy;  because  in  one  camp  they  could 


OP    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  153 

perceive  what  was  transpiring  in  the  other.  A  secret 
intercourse  sometimes  took  place  between  the  men, 
It  is  thought  that  the  enemy  was  informed  of  the  defi- 
ciency of  powder ;  but  did  not  believe  the  report,  on 
account  of  the  bold  front  presented  by  the  Americans. 
The  camp  remained  during  two  whole  weeks  in  this 
critical  state,  when  the  imminence  of  the  danger  was 
diminished  by  the  reception  of  a  small  supply  of 
powder  from  the  Jerseys ;  which  in  some  degree  re- 
lieved the  apprehensions  of  an  attack,  which  were 
experienced  by  Washington. 

A  correspondence  now  took  place  between  "Wash- 
ington and  General  Gage,  in  which  the  former  put  his 
army  on  a  proper  footing  with  respect  to  the  king's 
troops ;  claiming  perfect  equality,  and  manifesting 
that  the  courtesies  of  civilized  warfare  were  expected 
from  them.  He  remarked  on  the  ill  treatment  re- 
ceived by  several  American  officers,  who  had  been  con- 
fined in  the  Boston  jail ;  and  that  those  who  were  of 
the  most  respectable  rank,  had  obtained  the  least 
consideration.  The  claims  of  humanity  were  urged, 
and  he  concluded  by  remarking  that  his  own  conduct 
toward  British  prisoners  would  be  regulated  by  the 
treatment  received  by  captive  Americans.  The  reply 
of  General  Gage  contained  much  that  might  rouse 
the  indignant  feelings  of  Washington.  The  latter 
sent  him  a  very  spirited  and  dignified  reply;  and 
concluded  with  the  remark,  that  if  "  your  officers  our 
prisoners  receive  a  treatment  from  me  different  from 
that  which  I  wished  to  show  them,  they  and  you  will 
remember  the  occasion  of  it."  This  threat  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  committal  to  the  common  jail  of  North 


154  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

ampton  of  certain  British  officers  then  at  large  on 
parole ;  they  being  informed  of  the  reason  of  it,  to 
the  effect  that,  as  no  difference  in  rank  had  been 
made  in  the  treatment  of  American  prisoners  by 
General  Gage,  so  none  should  be  made  in  the  treat- 
ment of  the  British.  Circumstances  subsequently 
occasioned  a  recall  of  this  order,  and  the  officers  were 
allowed  to  remain  at  large  on  parole  as  before. 

As  Boston  was  the  great  centre  against  which  the 
American  commander -in -chief  was  directing  his 
efforts,  he  had  removed  his  camp  near  to  it ;  but,  to 
carry  on  the  object  the  colonies  had  in  view  in  resist- 
ing the  encroachments  of  Great  Britain,  it  was  neces- 
sary that  the  generals  of  the  continental  army  should 
lead  their  troops  to  battle  both  in  the  north  and  south. 
These  being  under  the  supervision  and  direction  of 
"Washington,  we  will  follow  them  in  their  different 
encounters,  which  were  so  many  links  in  the  general 
chain  of  operations. 

Letters  received  from  General  Schuyler  in  July, 
1775,  rendered  "Washington  apprehensive  of  dangers 
from  the  interior.  The  Indians,  it  was  said,  were 
being  stirred  up  by  the  Johnson  family,  who  had 
great  influence;  and  danger  in  the  rear  began  to 
threaten  the  patriots  who,  on  the  seaboard,  were  fight- 
ing for  liberty.  The  rivalry  of  Arnold  and  Ethan 
Allen  respecting  the  command  at  Ticonderoga,  caused 
the  matter  to  be  referred  to  the  Albany  Committee, 
who  asked  the  opinion  of  that  at  New  York.  It  was 
referred  in  turn  by  these  to  the  Continental  Congress, 
who  accepted  of  the  captured  fortress,  and  committed 
it  to  the  custody  of  New  York,  as  it  was  in  that  pro- 


OF    GEOKGE    WASHINGTON.  155 

vince,  with  such  aid  from  New  England  as  might  be 
necessary.  The  idea  of  the  dismantling  of  Ticonde- 
roga  and  Crown  Point  by  the  order  of  the  Conti 
nental  Congress,  had  been  exclaimed  against  by  both 
Arnold  and  Allen  ;  but  both  were  ambitious  of  lead- 
ing an  expedition  into  Canada,  and  these  fortresses 
would  open  the  way  to  it.  Allen  wrote  to  the  New 
York  Assembly  to  say  that  an  army  of  two  or  three 
thousand  men  might  subdue  Canada,  unless  it  were 
reinforced  from  England;  and  Arnold  wrote  on  the 
same  subject  to  the  Continental  Congress,  stating  that, 
from  knowledge  then  in  his  possession,  two  thousand 
men  would  suffice  to  take  the  province ;  and  propos- 
ing himself  as  the  leader  of  the  enterprise. 


156  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

BENEDICT   ARNOLD HIS   AMBITION THROWS  UP  HIS  COMMISStON  — 

GENERAL  SCHUYLER  ATTEMPTS  THE  CONQUEST  OF  CANADA — HIS  COR- 
RESPONDENCE WITH  WASHINGTON STATE  OF  CANADA SCHUYLEB 

MAKES    A    TREATY    WITH    THE    SIX    NATIONS    AT  ALBANY GENERAL 

MONTGOMERY    IN    COMMAND INDIANS    IN   CAMP   AT   CAMBRIDGE  — 

MONTGOMERY   AND   SCHUYLER  ON  THE  WAY  TO  ST.  JOHNS  —  AFFAIRS 

IN  BOSTON OPERATIONS  IN  BOTH  CAMPS  —  EXPEDITION  INTRUSTED 

TO  ARNOLD — ATTACK  ON  ST.  JOHN'S  ABANDONED — CAPTURE  OF  ETHAN 

ALLEN — MONTGOMERY  IN  COMMAND GALLANT    CONDUCT  OF  ARNOLD 

AND  HIS  MEN TREASON  IN  THE  CAMP — FALMOUTH  BURNT  —  CAP- 
TURE OF  CHAMBLEE  —  ST.  JOHN'S  CAPITULATES —  ARNOLD  AND  HIS 
TROOPS  REACH  QUEBEC  —  THEIR  INTENSE  SUFFERINGS. 

ONE  of  the  suggestions  made  by  Arnold  was,  that 
no  Green  Mountain  Boys  should  be  received  as  vol- 
unteers; and  these  now  returned  home,  their  time  of 
service  being  expired.  Ethan  Allen  and  Seth  Warner 
proceeded  to  Congress  to  obtain  the  pay  due  to  their 
men.  They  resolved  to  raise  another  company  of 
Green  Mountain  Boys,  consisting  of  five  hundred 
men.  In  the  meantime  Arnold  had  had  a  difficulty 
with  Colonel  Hinman,  in  reference  to  the  command 
of  the  fortresses ;  and  was  now  at  Crown  Point  with 
one  hundred  and  fifty  men.  While  he  expected  to 
achieve  a  triumph  over  his  rival,  his  assumption  of 
the  command  had  been  complained  of  to  the  Assem- 
bly of  Massachusetts,  who  now  sent  a  committee  of 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  157 

three  to  inquire  into  everything  relating  to  his  spirit 
and  conduct;  and  to  order  him,  if  expedient,  to  ac- 
count for  the  moneys,  arms,  stores,  and  ammunition 
which  he  had  received.  The  troops  were  placed, 
meanwhile,  under  the  chief  officer  from  Connecticut. 
Arnold  was  greatly  enraged,  and  threw  up  his  com- 
mission. The  disbanded  men  clamored  for  their  pay, 
and  refused  to  serve  under  any  other  officer.  Part 
of  the  men  joined  Arnold  on  the  lake,  and  he  medi- 
tated an  attack  on  St.  John's.  The  difficulty  was 
eventually  settled  by  promises  of  pay  made  to  the 
men,  and  Arnold  went  to  Cambridge  to  settle  his 
accounts.  The  Congress  had,  about  this  period,  di- 
rected General  Schuyler  to  proceed  on  the  27th  of 
June  to  Ticonderoga ;  and,  if  possible,  to  take  pos- 
session of  St.  John's  and  Montreal,  and  pursue  such  a 
course  respecting  Canada  as  might  seem  to  him  most 
expedient.  At  this  time  political  dissensions,  and 
the  late  success  on  Lake  Champlain,  had  rendered 
the  Canadians  disposed  to  assist  the  Americans.  The 
regular  troops  of  Carleton  were  much  reduced.  No\\ 
was  the  time,  therefore,  for  the  enterprise  against 
Canada,  before  Carleton  was  reinforced  from  Eng- 
land, or  had  launched  the  vessels  which  he  was  build- 
ing, on  the  lake.  In  a  letter  to  General  Trumbull, 
bearing  date  July  12th,  1775,  Ethan  Allen  remarked, 
that  but  for  the  incorporation  of  the  Green  Mountain 
Boys  into  a  battalion,  by  the  Continental  Congress, 
he  would  march  with  them  into  Canada,  and  would 
invest  Montreal  without  any  aid  from  the  colonies. 
General  Schuyler  then  resolved  to  stir  himself,  and 
he  reached  Ticonderoga  on  the  18th  of  July.  Colonel 
14 


158  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

Hinman  was  in  command  of  Ticonderoga  at  the  time, 
or  at  least  was  the  officer  of  highest  rank. 

The  garrison  of  the  fort  consisted  of  twelve  hun- 
dred men.  General  Schuyler,  on  assuming  the  com- 
mand, sent  an  agent  to  Major  John  Brown  in  Canada, 
to  gain  information  in  reference  to  the  British  force 
and  fortifications,  and  to  feel  the"  pnhlic  pulse  as  to 
the  probable  result  of  an  attack  on  St.  John's.  Mean- 
time he  prepared  boats,  should  the  enterprise  be  un- 
dertaken. A  letter  of  General  Schuyler  to  Wash- 
ington about  this  time,  furnishes  a  curious  account  of 
his  approach  to  the  fort.  He  found  the  men  who  were 
placed  as  sentinels  soundly  asleep.  He  declared: 
"  With  a  penknife  only  I  could  have  cut  off  both 
guards,  and  then  have  set  fire  to  the  block-house, 
destroyed  the  stores,  and  starved  the  people  here." 
This  occurred  at  a  post  where  all  the  stores  must  be 
landed  from  Lake  George,  and  which  necessarily 
required  the  utmost  vigilance.  The  insubordination 
of  the  soldiers,  especially  of  the  Connecticut  troops, 
and  the  difficulties,  dangers,  and  delays  which  were 
the  consequence,  greatly  vexed  General  Schuyler. 
He  complained  of  these  misfortunes  to  Washington, 
who  consoled  and  encouraged  him  by  dwelling  upon 
his  own  greater  difficulties  at  Cambridge,  and  the 
persevering  spirit  with  which  he  encountered  them. 
He  informed  Schuyler  that  the  difficulties  he  had  in- 
curred were  only  a  miniature  of  what  became  a  full' 
length  portrait  at  head-quarters;  and  drew  such  a 
picture  of  the  state  of  the  army,  as  renders  it  evident 
that,  at  the  time  in  question,  an  attack  by  the  enemy 


OP    GEOKG'E    WASHINGTON.  159 

might  have  been  attended  with  the  most  unfavorable 
consequences. 

Ethan  Allen,  who  had  been  omitted  in  the  nomi- 
nations for  officers  of  the  regiment,  from  having 
quarrelled  with  Seth  Warner,  now  offered  himself  as 
a  volunteer  to  Schuyler ;  who  received  him  as  a  pio- 
neer to  act  on  the  frontiers  of  Canada.  Schuyler 
was  informed  by  Major  Brown,  that  the  Canadians 
were  dissatisfied  with  British  tyranny,  and  that  the 
province  might  now  be  subdued  at  very  small  expense 
or  risk.  The  province  had  but  seven  hundred  royal 
troops  within  it;  of  which  three  hundred  held  St. 
John's,  fifty,  Quebec,  and  the  rest,  Montreal;  that 
two  batteries  of  nine  guns  each,  and  other  works, 
were  erected  at  St.  John's,  where  two  galleys  were 
almost  ready;  and  that  Colonel  Guy  Johnson,  with 
about  three  hundred  men  and  some  Indians,  was  at 
Montreal.  Schuyler  now  professed  himself  ready  to 
march  against  the  foe,  and  only  waited  for  orders  from 
head-quarters.  While  thus  waiting,  he  attended  a 
conference  held  at  Albany,  to  conclude  a  treaty  with 
the  Caughnawaga  and  the  Six  Nations,  whom  he  had 
invited  to  meet  him  at  that  place.  In  his  absence 
General  Richard  Montgomery  commanded  Ticonde- 
roga.  This  person  was  an  Irishman  by  birth;  had 
entered  the  American  service  when  eighteen  years 
of  age ;  had  served  in  the  French  War;  had  obtained 
a  lieutenancy  for  his  brave  conduct  at  Louisburg ;  had 
served  under  General  Amherst  on  Lake  Champlain; 
and  for  his  services  had  been  promoted  to  a  captaincy 
in  the  West  Indies.  He  resided  in  England  after  the 
peace  of  Versailles,  but  had  sold  out  his  commission, 


160  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

and  emigrated  to  New  York  several  years  before  the 
Revolution.  There  he  married,  and  lived  on  his  estate 
in  Dutchess  County,  on  the  Hudson  River.  He  had 
lately  been  made  brigadier-general,  and  subsequently 
became  one  of  the  heroes  of  the  Revolution. 

Meanwhile,  several  Indian  chiefs  of  the  Caughna- 
waga  and  other  tribes,  appeared  as  ambassadors  from 
their  nations  at  Boston,  and  were  received  with  great 
ceremony  by  the  commander-in-chief  at  his  head- 
quarters. They  offered  to  take  up  the  hatchet  against 
the  English ;  and  "Washington  sent  by  express  to 
General  Schuyler  to  ascertain  the  state  of  affairs,  and 
learn  what  intentions  the  British  governor  entertained 
in  reference  to  the  Indian  tribes.  This  express  arrived 
at  the  time  when  General  Schuyler  was  holding  his 
conference  at  Albany  with  the  Six  Nations ;  he  had 
just  heard  of  the  ease  with  which  Canada  could  now 
be  taken ;  and  having  sent  word  to  Montgomery  to 
prepare  for  it,  was  about  to  proceed  to  Ticonderoga. 
He  replied,  therefore,  to  Washington  :  "  I  should  not 
hesitate  one  moment  to  employ  any  savages  that 
might  be  willing  to  join  us."  These  despatches  being 
sent,  he  hastened  to  Ticonderoga,  but  before  his 
arrival,  Montgomery  had  been  informed  of  the  com- 
pletion of  the  armed  vessels  at  St.  John's,  and  their 
destination  to  Lake  Champlain  by  the  Sorel  River. 
The  entrance  to  that  river  it  became  important,  there- 
fore, to  possess;  Montgomery  embarked  one  thousand 
men  in  haste,  and  two  pieces  of  artillery,  and  sailed 
down  the  lake  to  seize  the  Isle  aux  Noix,  by  which 
the  mouth  of  the  stream  was  commanded.  He  left 
a  letter  for  General  Schuyler,  explaining  his  sudden 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  161 

movements,  and  beseeching  him  to  follow  him  as 
quickly  as  possible,  leaving  the  remainder  of  the  ar- 
tillery to  be  transported  when  convenient  Schuyler 
proceeded,  suffering  from  sickness,  on  the  30th  of 
August,  1775;  and  by  travelling  in  a  bed  prepared  in 
a  covered  batteau,  overtook  Montgomery  at  Isle  la 
Motte;  and  assuming  the  command  reached  the  Isle 
aux  Noix,  twelve  miles  from  St.  John's. 

We  return  from  following  this  expedition  to  the 
events  transpiring  at  Boston,  where  the  British  were 
strengthening  their  lines,  hemmed  in  by  the  besiegers 
who  had  received  a  supply  of  ammunition,  and  were 
now  eager  for  action.  Washington  ordered  his  men 
to  take  an  eminence  on  Charlestown  Neck,  in  order  to 
provoke  the  enemy  to  battle  on  the  next  day.  It  waa 
silently  done  during  the  night,  and  presented  to  the 
astonished  British,  on  the  next  morning,  the  aspect 
of  a  fortified  position.  Some  firing  then  took  place, 
but  no  sally  was  made ;  and  Washington  wondered  that 
the  British,  who  despised  the  Americans  so  intensely, 
did  not  issue  forth  and  attempt  to  terminate  the  con- 
test by  an  easy  victory.  Seeing  that  the  enemy  would 
not  come  forth,  Washington  employed  himself  in  at- 
tending to  the  expedition  which  was  to  be  sent  into 
Canada  by  way  of  the  Kennebec.  For  this  purpose, 
a  detachment  of  eleven  hundred  men  was  selected 
and  encamped  on  Cambridge  Common;  and  Arnold, 
who  was  then  at  Cambridge,  adjusting  his  accounts, 
was  intrusted  by  Washington  with  the  command  of 
the  expedition.  It  was  an  important  one,  and  re- 
quired both  skill  and  courage.  Arnold  was  deficient 
in  neither,  and  he  had  been  treated  honorably  at 
14*  L 


162  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

head-quarters.  He  now  received,  beside  his  written 
orders,  particular  instructions  from  the  general.  The 
chief  of  these  was,  that  he  should  be  very  careful  in 
marching  through  the  country,  to  consider  the  in- 
habitants not  as  enemies,  but  as  friends,  and,  by 
every  means  to  prevent  the  Canadians  from  suffering 
insult  and  plunder;  that  any  American  soldier  who 
should  injure  a  Canadian  or  Indian,  in  person  or  pro- 
perty, should  be  severely  punished;  and,  in  some 
cases,  death  itself  should  not  be  deemed  too  great  a 
penalty.  The  right  to  worship  according  to  one's 
conscience  was  to  be  insisted  on ;  and  ail  disrespect 
to  religion  and  its  ceremonies  in  the  country,  was  to 
be  avoided.  It  was  stated  particularly,  in  the  letter 
of  instructions,  that  should  the  son  of  Lord  Chatham 
fall  into  the  power  of  the  Americans,  he  was  to  be 
treated  with  respect,  on  account  of  the  eminence  of 
his  father.  The  Canadians  were  to  be  informed  by 
handbills  of  the  purposes  contemplated  by  the  expe- 
dition ;  and  were  to  be  assured  that  ample  compensa- 
tion would  be  given  for  the  necessaries  and  accom- 
modations which  they  furnished.  Thus  Arnold,  more 
fortunate  than  his  rival  Allen,  marched  forth  with 
great  spirit  and  ardor  on  the  13th  of  September,  1775. 
General  Schuyler  having  proceeded  along  the  Sorel 
lliver  within  two  miles  of  St.  John's,  a  cannonade 
from  the  fort  was  commenced.  He  landed  his  troops 
on  a  swamp  half  a  mile  in  advance,  and  after  consider- 
able loss  repulsed  some  tories  and  Indians,  who  had 
attacked  him  from  an  ambuscade.  They  cast  up  an 
intrenchment  about  nightfall ;  and  Schuyler  was  in- 
formed in  the  night,  that  the  works  of  the  fort  were 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  163 

completed,  that  cannon  were  mounted  on  them,  and 
that  a  sixte-en-gun  vessel  was  ready  to  sail  to  its  relief. 
A  council  of  war  declared  the  impossibility  of  a  suc- 
cessful siege.  They  then  returned  and  fortified  the 
Isle  aux  Noix,  and  threw  a  boom  across  the  river  to 
intercept  the  passage  to  Ticonderoga.  Ethan  Allen 
afterward  arrived,  and  stated  his  conviction  that  an 
attack  on  St.  John's  and  an  incursion  into  Canada 
would  be  successful.  Preparations  for  an  attack  were 
completed,  when  General  Schuyler  felt  too  ill  to  as- 
sume the  command,  being  confined  to  his  bed.  Gene- 
ral Montgomery  then  received  the  charge  of  the  ex- 
pedition. Washington  was  much  concerned  at  this 
misfortune,  and  preferred  that  General  Wooster 
would  take  precedence  and  the  command,  as  he  con- 
sidered Montgomery  to  be  deficient  in  the  energy 
which  the  difficult  nature  of  the  service  required. 
He  became,  therefore,  anxious  about  Arnold,  whose 
forces  he  thought  in  danger,  should  the  expedition  of 
Schuyler  be  discontinued.  General  Wooster,  how- 
ever, was  not  superior  to  Montgomery  in  rank,  but  a 
degree  lower,  the  grade  of  his  commission  being  mis- 
taken by  Washington.  The  garrison  of  St.  John's 
then  contained  a  force  of  five  or  six  hundred  regulars, 
with  two  hundred  militia.  Its  commander,  Major 
Preston,  being  attacked,  made  a  gallant  defence. 
The  necessary  number  of  cannon  was  wanting  to 
Montgomery;  and  he  effected  but  little  progress  till 
the  arrival  of  Captain  Lamb  from  Saratoga,  with  a 
thirteen-inch  mortar.  This  piece,  however,  produced 
but  little  injury  to  the  fort,  from  being  too  far  distant. 
Ethan  Allen  was  on  his  way  to  St.  John's,  when  he 


164  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

met  Colonel  Brown  near  Longueil,  who  informed  him 
that  the  garrison  at  Montreal  was  very  weak.  An 
attack  was  then  concerted.  Allen  was  to  pass  over 
the  St.  Lawrence  in  canoes  by  night,  from  Longueil ; 
Brown,  with  two  hundred  men,  was  to  cross  above ; 
and  the  two  forces  were  to  make  a  simultaneous  attack 
on  Montreal.  This  adventure  was  arranged  without 
the  knowledge  of  Montgomery.  Allen  crossed  the 
river,  but  Brown  did  not  appear.  He  evidently  had  not 
made  the  passage.  Day  dawned,  and  yet  no  signal 
was  given.  Allen  would  then  have  returned,  but  it 
was  too  late.  Canadians  and  Indians  commenced  an 
attack  on  him.  In  a  brisk  action  which  ensued, 
a  number  of  Americans  fell ;  Allen  surrendered  to 
Major  Campbell,  was  marched  into  town,  and  de- 
livered over  to  the  commanding  officer.  "Washington 
was  concerned  for  this  capture,  and  hoped  it  would 
serve  as  a  lesson  to  demonstrate  the  evils  of  in- 
subordination. 

While  these  events  were  transpiring  in  the  north, 
armed  vessels  were  sent  by  the  British  from  Boston 
to  ravage  the  coasts  of  New  England,  and  obtain  a 
supply  of  cattle  and  forage.  Stonington  was  com- 
manded by  Captain  Wallace  of  the  Rose,  a  man-of- 
war  vessel.  Newport  was  the  place  whence  he  issued ; 
and  a  woman  was  sent  from  Cambridge  with  a  letter 
to  Major  Kane  of  Boston,  which  she  was  to  deliver  to 
Captain  Wallace,  or  to  the  collector.  She  intrusted 
it  to  a  Mr.  Wainwood  for  delivery;  and  as  he  enter- 
tained suspicions  in  reference  to  its  contents,  he 
opened  it,  and  found  it  written  in  cypher,  which  he 
could  not  comprehend.  From  him  it  passed  into  the 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  165 

hands  of  Henry  "Ward,  the  secretary  of  the  colony, 
by  whom  it  was  sent  to  General  Greene.  He  con- 
veyed it  immediately  to  the  commander-in-chief. 
The  woman  was  arrested,  and  tradition  informs  ua 
that  Washington,  looking  from  a  window,  beheld 
General  Putnam  approaching  on  horseback,  with  a 
fat  woman,  the  prisoner,  placed  before  him ;  that  the 
figure  thus  presented  was  so  strikingly  ludicrous, 
that  Washington  burst  into  a  hearty  fit  of  laughter; 
the  only  time,  it  is  said,  in  which  he  thus  indulged 
during  the  whole  campaign.  The  female  was  con- 
ducted to  the  presence  of  Washington,  who  informed 
her  that  unless  she  would  make  a  full  confession  in 
reference  to  the  transaction,  she  should  be  hanged. 
She  pondered  over  this  threat  for  some  time.  On  the 
one  hand  she  saw  the  gallows  before  her ;  on  the 
other  the  consequences  of  an  avowal.  The  terror  of 
death  prevailed,  and  to  the  astonishment  of  every 
one,  she  named  Dr.  Benjamin  Church,  a  member  of 
the  Massachusetts  House  of  Representatives,  who 
was  supposed  to  be  a  true  patriot,  and  was  surgeon- 
general  of  the  hospitals,  as  the  author  of  the  letter. 
He  was  immediately  arrested,  and  his  papers  secured. 
The  latter  had  been  previously  inspected  by  a  conn 
dant.  The  doctor  was  greatly  agitated,  but  acknow- 
ledged that  he  had  written  the  letter.  He  was  put 
into  close  confinement,  but  was  afterward  allowed  to 
embark  for  the  West  Indies,  on  account  of  his  health. 
It  is  supposed  that  he  was  subsequently  lost  at  sea. 

On  the  llth  of  October,  Falmouth  was  set  on  fire 
by  Lieutenant  Mowat,  of  the  royal  navy.  Two  hun- 
dred and  twenty-eight  stores,  and  one  hundred  aud 


166  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

nine  dwelling-houses  were  consumed ;  and  all  the 
vessels  in  the  harbor  were  sunk  or  captured.  It  was 
his  intention  wholly  to  destroy  Portsmouth.  It  waa 
supposed  that  orders  had  arrived  from  England  to 
burn  all  the  towns  which  would  not  surrender  their 
arms,  and  furnish  hostages  to  the  British.  It  was 
afterward  ascertained  that  no  such  order  had  been 
received;  but  that  these  acts  of  violence  had  their 
origin  with  General  Gage  and  Admiral  Graves. 
Various  ships  were  at  this  time  dispatched  for  the  pro- 
tection of  the  coast;  and  an  act  of  the  General  Court 
of  Massachusetts  granted  letters  of  marque  and  re- 
prisal to  American  cruisers,  which  were  declared  by 
John  Adams  "to  be  one  of  the  most  important  docu- 
ments in  history." 

General  Gage,  who  had  lost  his  laurels  at  the  battle 
of  Bunker  Hill,  was  at  length  recalled;  and  he  set  sail 
for  England  on  the  10th  of  October.  Major-General 
Howe  was  appointed  commander-in-chief  of  the  colo- 
nies on  the  Atlantic  in  his  place,  and  Major-General 
Carleton  commander  of  the  English  troops  in  Canada. 

A  committee  from  Congress  arrived  at  Boston  on 
the  15th  of  October,  1775,  to  hold  a  conference  with 
"Washington  and  with  the  delegates  from  several  of 
the  colonies,  and  take  into  consideration  the  subject 
of  putting  the  army  on  a  new  footing.  After  a  ses 
sion  of  four  days,  the  report  which  they  rendered 
caused  a  resolution  to  be  passed  in  Congress,  to 
the  effect  that  an  army  of  twenty  thousand  men 
should  be  raised,  and  composed  as  much  as  possible 
from  the  troops  then  in  service.  These  had  been 
enlisted  for  one  year  only ;  and  this  mistake  led  to 


OP    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  167 

the  most  serious  embarrassments  during  the  war; 
requiring  that  process  to  be  repeated  every  year, 
which  ought  to  have  been  effected  for  several  years,  or 
during  the  continuance  of  hostilities.  In  this  com- 
mittee was  the  celebrated  Benjamin  Franklin.  The 
committee  had  uttered  an  intimation,  that  Congress 
desired  Boston  to  be  attacked,  if  it  were  possible ;  but 
in  a  council  of  war  which  was  held,  it  was  the  opinion 
of  the  ablest  generals,  that  that  movement  would  be 
inexpedient.  Washington  asked  the  delegates  how  far, 
in  case  of  a  bombardment,  it  might  be  carried  to  the 
destruction  of  houses  and  property ;  but  they  would 
not  take  the  responsibility  on  them  to  reply,  without 
first  referring  the  matter  to  Congress ;  though  two  of 
the  committee  expressed  the  wish  to  see  Boston  in 
flames. 

General  Howe  now  proceeded  to  fortify  Bunker 
Hill  and  Boston  Neck ;  and  to  strengthen  the  town  by 
defences  on  the  eminences  within  it.  Several  patriots 
were  shocked  at  witnessing  the  desecration  of  Old 
South  Church,  in  which  some  of  the  most  eminent 
divines  had  ministered  during  a  century.  The  pulpit 
and  pews  were  taken  out,  and  it  was  turned  into  a 
riding-school.  The  North  Church  was  used  for  fuel. 
These  places  of  worship  the  British  commander  had 
stigmatized  as  "meeting-houses."  He  now  issued 
proclamations,  forbidding  any  one  to  leave  Boston 
without  his  permission ;  and  each  of  those  who  ob- 
tained this  permission  was  forbidden  to  carry  more 
than  five  pounds'  weight  of  baggage  with  him.  All 
the  inhabitants  were  commanded  to  arm  for  the  pre- 
servation of  order  in  the  town.  "Wash^gton,  being 


168  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

aware  that  the  bay  would  soon  be  frozen  over  which 
separated  the  camp  from  Boston,  and  that  soldiers 
could  easily  cross  on  the  ice;  and  that  if  General 
Howe  received  reinforcements,  he  would  desire  to 
free  himself  from  the  blockade,  erected  batteries  at 
every  assailable  point;  and  being  in  want  of  artillery 
and  ordnance  stores,  dispatched  Henry  Knox  for  a 
supply  to  the  forts  on  Lake  Champlain. 

He  now  made  the  attempt  to  re-enlist  the  troops 
then  in  service,  and  found  that  half  of  the  officers  who 
held  the  rank  of  captain  desired  to  leave  the  army. 
Their  pernicious  example,  he  well  knew,  would  exert 
much  influence  with  the  men.  Those  who  came  from 
one  colony  were  reluctant  to  join  the  same  regiment 
with  troops  from  another.  Some  stood  apart,  and 
Borne  who  had  declined  to  serve  again,  sent  in  their 
names.  It  was  difficult  to  induce  the  soldiers  to  re- 
main, unless  they  knew  the  colonel  under  whom  they 
were  to  serve;  and  the  officers  had  to  be  appointed 
first.  In  short,  a  lamentable  want  of  public  spirit  be- 
came prevalent,  and  instead  of  being  anxious  to  benefit 
their  country,  they  felt  so  strong  a  contrary  impulse, 
that  the  general  was  fearful  of  the  consequences;  and 
apprehended  that  General  Howe,  who  knew  the 
state  of  affairs,  as  soon  as  he  obtained  reinforcements 
would  take  advantage  of  their  condition.  Washing- 
ton at  this  period  declared,  in  a  letter  to  Colonel  Joseph 
Reed :  "  I  tremble  at  the  prospect.  We  have  been 
enlisting  three  thousand  five  hundred  men.  To  en- 
gage them  I  have  been  obliged  to  allow  furloughs  to 
as  far  as  fifty  men  to  a  regiment ;  and  the  officers,  I 
am  persuaded,  indulge  many  more.  The  Connecticut 


OF    GEORGE     WASHINGTON.  169 

troops  will  not  be  prevailed  upon  to  stay  longer  than 
their  term." 

The  mercenary  spirit  which  characterized  the  troops 
was  such  as  to  give  Washington  great  cause  for  unea- 
siness ;  and  at  the  close  of  the  letter  just  referred  to, 
he  remarked  that  had  he  known  what  had  happened 
as  having  been  likely  to  take  place,  no  possible  con- 
sideration could  have  induced  him  to  accept  the  com- 
mand. General  Greene,  who  entertained  great  admi- 
ration for  the  character  of  Washington,  and  was  happy 
to  serve  him,  was  one  of  his  most  valued  friends  in 
the  embarrassing  position  in  which  he  was  now 
placed.  While  sympathizing  with  that  great  man  in 
the  immense  difficulties  and  harassing  perplexities 
which  he  was  compelled  to  encounter,  was  of  opinion 
that  when  Washington  became  better  acquainted 
with  the  New  England  people,  he  would  find  them  as 
brave  and  public-spirited  as  those  of  any  other  colony, 
and  patriotic  in  the  highest  degree.  That  they  were 
acquisitive,  and  accustomed  to  count  the  cost  of  every 
movement,  was  true ;  but  sentiments  of  honor  pre- 
vailed among  them,  and  they  would  fight  with  admi- 
rable fortitude  for  their  country's  liberties. 

Washington  received  dispatches  from  Schuyler, 
bearing  date  October  26th,  which  informed  him  of 
the  capture  of  Ghamblee  and  three  hundred  Cana- 
dians ;  in  which  place  a  large  quantity  of  military 
stores,  gunpowder,  and  arms,  was  obtained,  that 
were  indispensable  in  the  siege  of  St.  John's.  That 
enterprise  was  now  vigorously  pressed  by  General 
Montgomery,  who  had  then  heard  of  the  capture  of 
Ethau  Allen.  He  addressed  a  letter  to  Carleton  in, 
15 


170  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

reference  to  the  indignities  inflicted  on  Allen  and  hia 
men  at  the  hands  of  their  captors,  who  had  thrown 
them  into  irons;  and  he  threatened  to  retaliate  upon 
the  garrison  of  Chamblee,  which  was  then  in  his 
power,  if  he  persisted  in  such  dishonorable  treatment 
of  the  patriots.  He  demanded  a  reply,  and  allowed 
six  days  for  its  delivery;  in  the  meantime  besieging 
St.  John's  with  vigor. 

The  firing  on  the  fort  had  continued  during  some 
hours,  when  word  was  brought  that  General  Carleton 
had  embarked  on  the  31st  of  September,  at  Montreal, 
in  thirty-four  boats,  to  proceed  to  the  relief  of  St. 
John's,  with  Maclean  and  his  famous  Highlanders. 
Colonel  Seth  Warner's  Green  Mountain  Boys  opened 
a  sudden  fire  on  these  troops  as  they  landed  at  Lon- 
gueil;  and  after  dispersing  the  boats,  some  of  which 
were  disabled,  and  others  driven  on  shore,  Carleton 
retreated  to  Montreal.  Montgomery  then  ceased  his 
fire,  and  sent  to  Major  Preston,  demanding  a  surren- 
der. Preston  doubted  the  truth  of  the  report,  but 
replied  that  he  would  surrender  if  assistance  did  not 
arrive  within  four  days.  This  delay  was  not  allowed; 
and  he  was  then  obliged  at  once  to  capitulate.  The 
garrison  was  composed  of  five  hundred  regulars  and 
one  hundred  Canadians.  Montgomery  sent  his  pri- 
soners to  Ticonderoga. 

Maclean  had  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Sorel,  and 
was  hastening  onward  to  St.  John's,  when  he  was 
encountered  by  Majors  Brown  and  Livingston,  by 
whom  he  was  forced  to  retreat  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Sorel.  From  that  point  he  sailed  down  the  St.  Law- 
rence to  Quebec.  The  Americans  took  up  a  position. 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  171 

at  the  mouth  of  the  Sorel,  and  erected  batteries  to 
prevent  ships  from  approaching  Montreal.  Montgo- 
mery had  not  yet  been  apprised  of  Arnold's  proceed- 
ings. He  had  experienced  the  greatest  difficulty  in 
transporting  his  troops  from  the  Kennebec  to  Dead 
River.  They  had  subsisted  on  salmon,  which  there 
abounded  ;  and  having  launched  their  boats  on  Dead 
River,  they  sailed  to  the  foot  of  the  great  granite 
mountain  chain  which  traverses  this  continent  from 
south-west  to  north-eagt.  His  soldiers  here  became 
disheartened  on  seeing  their  boats  upset,  a  large  por- 
tion of  their  provisions  destroyed,  and  sickness  greatly 
increasing.  They  had  a  wilderness  before  them  which 
it  would  require  fifteen  days  to  penetrate ;  and  Ar- 
nold concluded  to  send  back  the  sick,  who  only  im- 
peded his  progress.  He  dispatched  a  message  to  the 
other  commanders,  desiring  them  to  send  as  many 
men  as  they  could  provision  for  fifteen  days,  and 
directing  the  remainder  to  be  sent  back. 

Washington  was  informed  of  these  events  by  a  let- 
ter from  Arnold,  who  pushed  forward  through  ice 
and  snow  on  the  bleak  mountains,  until,  at  the  Chan- 
diere,  he  met  an  emissary  whom  he  had  sent  in  ad- 
vance to  ascertain  the  feelings  of  the  Canadians.  He 
received  a  favorable  report;  and  after  distributing 
among  the  different  companies  the  provisions  which 
he  yet  possessed,  he  ordered  them  to  hasten  forward 
to  the  settlements  on  the  Chandiere,  toward  which, 
without  a  guide,  he  set  out.  It  was  a  perilous  under- 
taking. Three  of  their  boats  were  broken  to  pieces, 
and  the  crews  were  saved  with  difficulty.  The  car- 
goes were  lost,  and  the  party  were  at  one  time  almost 


172  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

dashed  over  a  cataract.  They  met  a  kind  reception 
at  the  first  French  settlement  which  they  reached, 
and  from  hence  Arnold  sent  provisions  to  his  famish- 
ing men.  The  distress  of  the  invading  troops  was 
very  great.  They  had  even  cooked  their  dogs,  and 
boiled  their  moccasins  and  other  leathern  articles  for 
food  ;  and  some  of  the  men  had  not  eaten  for  forty- 
eight  hours.  They  remained  to  recruit  in  the  valley 
of  the  Chandiere  for  some  days;  and  on  the  9th  of 
November  appeared  at  Mount  Levi  on  the*  St.  Law- 
rence, not  far  distant  from  Quebec. 


OP    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  ITS 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

CAPTURE  OF  MONTREAL  AND  ESCAPE  OF«CARLETON — HOME  SICKNESS 
AND  INSUBORDINATION  —  MRS.  WASHINGTON  IN  THE  CAMP  —  AR- 
NOLD PLANTS  HIS  FLAG  ON  THE  HEIGHTS  OF  ABRAHAM  —  HIS 
JUNCTION  WITH  MONTGOMERY  AT  POINT-AUX-TREMBLES  —  THEIR 
ATTACK  ON  QUEBEC — GALLANT  CONDUCT  AND  DEATH  OF  MONTGO- 
MERY—  BRAVERY  OF  ARNOLD — HE  FORTIFIES  HIS  POSITION  AND 
CONTINUES  THE  BLOCKADE  OF  QUEBEC  —  LORD  DUNMORE  IN  VIR- 
GINIA—  LEE'S  POLICY  —  TRIALS  OF  WASHINGTON WANT  OF  PA- 
TRIOTISM IN  THE  SOLDIERS  —  GENERAL  GREENE'S  INFLUENCE. 

THE  letters  received  from  General  Schuyler  in- 
formed Washington  of  the  events  transpiring  in 
Canada.  On  the  12th  of  November  Montgomery  ap- 
peared before  Montreal,  which  Carleton  had  evacu- 
ated, having  embarked  the  garrison  on  board  a  dozen 
small  vessels.  Montgomery  took  possession  of  the 
place,  and  soon  gained  the  good  will  of  the  inhabi- 
tants. Intercepted  letters  had  informed  him  of  Ar- 
nold's arrival  at  Quebec,  and  of  the  intense  fear 
inspired  by  his  presence.  Montgomery's  intention 
was  to  seize  Carleton,  by  which  decisive  blow  he 
thought  the  fate  of  Canada  would  be  decided.  He 
prepared  to  attack  with  batteaux  and  light  artillery, 
in  order  to  force  the  party  down  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Sorel,  on  the  batteries  there ;  but  Carleton  perceived 
his  danger,  escaped  in  disguise  to  Three  Rivers,  and 
thence  embarked  for  Quebec.  Garrisons  were  now 
15* 


174  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

placed  in  Montreal,  St.  John's,  and  Chamblee;  and 
Montgomery  hastened  to  descend  the  river,  and  join 
Arnold  in  the  attack  against  Quebec.  But  his  troops 
had  become  disorderly,  and  even  mutinous,  their  time 
of  service  having  expired.  They  went  to  Ticonde- 
roga,  and  being  home-sick  started,  after  being  dis- 
charged by  Schuyler,  without  even  waiting  for  boats 
to  convey  them.  Washington  was  greatly  pleased 
with  the  capture  of  Montreal,  and  bestowed  a  high 
encomium  on  Arnold.  He  hoped  a  similarly  favor- 
able account  would  soon  arrive  from  Quebec,  and  was 
assured  that  Arnold  would  do  all  in  his  power  to  take 
that  city  by  an  attempt  which  must  be  successful  on 
the  junction  of  Montgomery's  troops  with  his  own. 
By  this  means  Washington  anticipated  the  speedy 
subjugation  of  Canada. 

Insubordination  among  the  troops  so  disgusted 
Schuyler  at  this  time,  that  he  was  about  to  retire  from 
the  army ;  and  the  same  annoyance  induced  Mont- 
gomery to  express  a  similar  intention;  but  by  the 
request  of  Congress,  and  through  the  influence  of 
Washington,  the  Confederacy  was  spared  the  misfor- 
tune of  losing  the  services  of  these  able  men,  so 
essential,  in  the  present  crisis,  to  its  interests.  General 
Schuyler,  throughout  the  whole  campaign,  was  the 
victim  of  sectional  prejudice;  and  his  enemies  were 
those  mean  and  distrustful  persons  who  were  incapa- 
ble of  being  influenced  by  generous  sentiments. 

The  revolutionary  zeal  that  had  manifested  itself 
at  the  outbreak  of  the  war  now  began  to  diminish ; 
and  an  ill-regulated  commissariat  had  induced  many 
soldiers  to  long  for  their  homes  on  the  expiration  of 


OF    GEOilGE    WASHINGTON.  176 

their  term  of  enlistment.  Three  thousand  of  the 
minute-men  and  militia  of  Massachusetts,  and  two 
thousand  from  New  Hampshire,  were  ordered  to  be 
at  Cambridge,  to  relieve  the  Connecticut  troops,  on 
the  10th  of  December;  and  till  the  arrival  of  these, 
the  troops  were  ordered  to  remain.  Their  officers 
assured  Washington  that  no  defection  of  the  troops 
need  be  feared ;  but,  notwithstanding  this  declaration, 
the}7  left  on  the  1st  of  December,  1775,  and  could  not 
be  prevented  from  carrying  their  arms  and  ammuni- 
tion with  them.  Washington  sent  a  list  of  their 
names  to  General  Trumbull,  and  submitted  the  ques- 
tion to  him,  whether  an  example  should  not  be  made 
of  these  deserters  of  the  cause  of  their  country,  in 
so  critical  a  period.  Trumbull,  with  many  others, 
was  extremely  indignant  at  such  conduct;  and  so 
were  the  people  of  Connecticut,  as  well  as  the  per- 
sons living  on  the  road,  who  would  scarcely  furnish 
them  necessary  food. 

On  the  same  day  that  these  troops  departed,  a  long 
train  of  wagons  brought  into  the  camp  the  cargo  of  a 
captured  brigautine,  consisting  of  munitions  of  war, 
two  thousand  stand  of  arms,  one  hundred  thousand 
flints,  thirty  thousand  round  shot,  and  thirty-two  tons 
of  musket  balls,  beside  ordnance.  Washington  thought 

'  O  O 

nothing  could  have  come  more  opportunely.  Lord 
Dunmore  had  been  exercising  martial  law  in  Virginia, 
and  the  favorite  abode  of  Washington  was  in  clanger 
of  pillage.  John  Augustine  had  entreated  Mrs.  Wash- 
ton  to  leave  it ;  and  her  friends  earnestly  advised  her 
to  take  refuge  beyond  the  Blue  Ridge.  But  she  did 
not  think  herself  in  danger ;  and  the  steward  of  the 


176  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

estate,  Lund  "Washington,  thought  that  Lord  Dun- 
more  would  not  venture  up  the  river.  Washington, 
in  accepting  the  command,  had  promised  to  visit 
home  in  the  autumn ;  and  as  it  was  likely  he  would 
remain  all  the  winter  before  Boston,  he  sent  his  wife 
in  November  an  invitation  to  join  the  camp.  She  com- 
plied, and  travelled  in  her  own  carriage,  drawn  by  the 
k beautiful  horses  in  which  Washington  so  much  de- 
lighted. Guards  of  honor  attended  her  throughout  the 
journey.  Her  arrival  was  a  happy  omen  to  the  army, 
and  her  presence  relieved  the  general  from  much  per- 
plexity. Invitations  to  dine  with  the  commander  were 
matters  of  solicitude  to  the  officers.  A  disturbance 
which  arose  in  the  camp  between  some  Virginians  and 
troops  from  Marblehead  was  promptly  suppressed  by 
the  general,  who  seized  two  athletic  riflemen  and  held 
them  apart  at  arm's  length.  "He  was  commanding 
in  his  serenest  moments,  but  irresistible  in  his  indig- 
nation." The  ground  was  thus  cleared  of  the  rioters 
in  three  minutes. 

Arnold  still  remained  at  Point  Levi,  opposite  to 
Quebec.  His  intention  was  to  cross  at  once ;  and 
such  a  step  might  have  succeeded,  bad  he  not  wanted 
boats ;  for  his  letters  to  Schuyler  and  Montgomery 
had  been  carried  to  the  lieutenant-governor,  who  had 
thus  become  aware  of  the  danger,  and  had  the  boats 
removed.  Arnold  was  not  easily  discouraged.  He 
collected  together  forty  birch  canoes;  but  the  weather 
for  some  days  continued  too  tempestuous  to  embark. 
Reinforcements  in  the  meantime  arrived  from  Nova 
Scotia.  Maclean,  who  had  been  driven  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Sorel,  had  now  arrived;  and  the  river 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  177 

guarded  by  a  frigate,  a  sloop-of-war,  and  two 
armed  schooners,  with  guard-boats,  which  rendered 
an  attempt  on  Quebec  hazardous  in  the  extreme. 
He  heard  of  the  capture  of  St.  John's  by  Montgo- 
mery, was  roused  to  valorous  rivalry,  and  attempted 
to  cross  the  river,  whose  wide  and  rapid  current  re- 
quired unusual  skill  in  the  management  of  the  canoes. 
By  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  he  landed  a  consider- 
able number  of  his  men  a  littl'e  above  Cape  Diamond, 
at  a  spot  which  the  gallant  Wolfe  had  rendered  me- 
morable, and  called  from  him  "  Wolfe's  Cove."  A 
boat  belonging  to  the  Lizard,  the  frigate  already 
mentioned,  discovered  them;  and  not  answering 
when  they  hailed  it,  it  was  fired  into,  and  three  men 
killed. 

Arnold  led  those  who  had  landed  up  a  craggy 
defile,  without  waiting  for  the  main  body ;  and  in 
imitation  of  Wolfe,  had  planted  his  flag  at  dawn  of 
day  on  the  Heights  of  Abraham.  The  strength  of 
the  fortifications  presented  an  almost  insuperable  ob- 
stacle to  his  attempt,  and  a  council  of  war  was  held, 
in  which  Arnold  argued  in  favor  of  storming  the  gate 
of  St.  John's.  This  attempt  might  have  been  suc- 
cessful—  it  being  open,  and  at  that  moment  mi 
guarded.  Imprudent  delay,  however,  rendered  their 
operations  abortive ;  for  the  lieutenant-governor  thus 
obtained  time  to  array  his  forces,  and  the  din  of  arms 
proclaimed  the  startling  fact  that  the  enemy  was  on 
the  Heights  of  Abraham.  The  gate  of  St.  John's  was 
secured,  and  the  walls  properly  manned.  Arnold 
summoned  the  commandant  to  surrender;  but  hia 
flag  was  insulted  during  several  days. 

M 


178  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

Arnold's  threats  were  now  derided,  as  the  inhabi- 
tants had  entirely  recovered  from  their  alarm.  He 
was  informed  of  the  capture  of  Montreal,  and  ascer- 
tained th?t  Carleton  had  escaped,  and  was  hastening 
to  Quebec.  He  retired,  therefore,  to  Point-aux-Trem- 
bles,  twenty  miles  distant  from  Quebec,  and  expected 
the  arrival  of  General  Montgomery  with  troops  and 
cannon.  A  vessel  at  that  crisis  sailed  by,  after  touch- 
ing at  the  Point.  •  It  contained  a  precious  cargo ;  for 
General  Carleton  was  on  board,  on  his  way  to  Que- 
bec. He  fortified  his  position,  and  expelled  all  whom 
he  either  suspected,  or  who  would  not  aid  in  the  de- 
fence of  the  place. 

"Washington  entertained  hopes  of  the  success  of 
this  enterprise,  and  reposed  great  confidence  in  Arnold. 
He  did  not  doubt  that  he  would  render  all  the  assist- 
ance in  his  power  to  General  Montgomery  after  their 
junction  ;  and  he  was  kept  informed  of  the  progress 
of  events  by  General  Schuyler.  On  the  day  of  the 
"  crisis  of  the  army,"  the  31st  of  December,  1775, 
General  Greene  wrote  thus:  "We  never  have  been  so 
weak  as  we  shall  be  to-morrow,  when  we  dismiss  the 
old  troops."  "Washington  was  not  discouraged  by  the 
accounts  which  he  received  from  Canada;  and  when  all 
was  gloomy  and  cheerless  around  him,  a  ray  of  light 
and  hope  beamed  upon  him  from  that  distant  horizon. 
The  news  of  the  junction  of  Montgomery  with  Ar- 
nold, at  Point-aux-Trembles,  now  reached  him.  They 
mustered  together  an  army  of  two  thousand  men, 
•  and  were  about  to  attack  Quebec,  which,  it  was  sup- 
posed, would  quickly  surrender,  if  the  inhabitants 
could  obtain  the  same  conditions  as  those  accorded  to 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  179 

Montreal.     The  hopes  of  the  general  were  not  des- 
tined to  be   realized.     Montgomery  arrived   before 
Quebec  on  the  5th  of  December,  and  thought  the 
works  could  not  long  be  defended  by  "Maclean's 
banditti."      This   force   consisted   of  nine  hundred 
men,  six  hundred  of  whom  he  found  with  Arnold. 
He  described  these  as  being  in  a  superior  state  of  dis- 
cipline, and  spoke  of  Arnold  as  an  officer  of  great 
intelligence  and  activity.     On  his  arrival,  he  sent  a 
flag  to  the  garrison,  with  a  demand  of  capitulation. 
It  was  tired  into;  and  he  then  wrote  Carleton  an  in- 
dignant letter,  renewed  the  requisition,  and  concluded 
with  threats.     After  dispatching  another  messenger 
with  no  better  effect,  he  prepared  for  the  assault. 
The  ground  was  frozen  to  a  great  depth,  and  waa 
covered  with  snow.     A  breastwork  was  thrown  up 
with  extreme  labor,  made  of  gabions  filled  with  ice. 
From  this  point,  Captain  Lamb  opened  a  fire ;  but  pro- 
duced little  effect,  because  his  guns  were  too  light.    In 
the  meantime,  during  five  days  and  nights,  he  kept  the 
garrison  in  a  state  of  apprehension.     On  the  fifth  day 
Montgomery  visited  the  battery.   It  had  been  shivered 
into  fragments,  and  several  guns  were  useless.     It 
was  abandoned  during  the  following  night.     On  this 
occasion  Montgomery  was  attended  by  Aaron  Burr, 
who  was  his  aide-de-camp.     Three  weeks  were  thua 
consumed  to  little  purpose ;  and  the  ill-clothed  and 
ill-fed  army  feared  the  severity  of  a  Canadian  winter. 
A  determination  was  made  to  take  the  place  by  esca- 
lade.    One  body  was  to  fire  the  houses  of  the  suburbs, 
and  to  force  the  barriers  ;  while  the  main  body  was 
to  scale  the  bastion  of  Cape  Diamond.     The  ladders 


180  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

were  provided;  a  council  of  war  called;  and  three 
captains  in  Arnold's  division,  whose  term  was  nearly 
expired,  would  not  serve  unless  under  another  com- 
mand.    Montgomery  overcame  this  adverse   move- 
ment with  difficulty;  and  transposed  the  arrangement 
previously  made.     Livingston  was  ordered  to  fire  the 
gate  of  St.  John's ;  Brown,  to  assail  the  bastion  of 
Cape  Diamond;  and  Arnold  and  Lamb  to  attack  the 
batteries  of  St.  Roque.     Montgomery  was  to   pass 
Cape   Diamond,    capture  Drummond's  Wharf,    arid 
enter  the  city  at  one  end ;  while  an  entry  was  to  be 
made  at  the  other  by  Arnold.     These   movements 
were  all  to  be  simultaneous ;  the  signal,  a  discharge 
of  rockets.     At  two  o'clock,  on  the  last  day  of  De- 
cember, 1775,  the  troops,  under  cover  of  a  snow-storm, 
set  out  to  perform  their  several  duties.     The  signal 
rockets  were  let  off  too  soon,  and  thus  gave  the  alarm ; 
while  Livingston  failed  to  make  the  feigned  attack  on 
the  gates  of  St.  John's.     The   gallant  Montgomery 
descended  to  "Wolfe's  Cove,  and  led  his  men  along 
the  shore  round  Cape  Diamond.    The  guard  fled  from 
the  first  barrier.    Montgomery  rushed  forward,  pulled 
down  the  pickets  with  his  own  hand,  arid  entered. 
Terror  seems  to  have  overwhelmed  the  Canadians, 
for  the   battery   was   silent;   and   Montgomery   ex- 
claimed :  "  Push  on,  my  brave  boys,  Quebec  is  ours." 
When  within  forty  paces  of  the  battery,  this  heroic 
commander  was  slain,  and  two  other  valuable  officers 
fell  at  the  same  time.     The  troops  then  retreated. 
The  battle  on  the  other  side  of  the  town  was  hotter 
Btill.     Arnold,  while  gallantly  leading  on  his  men, 
was  wounded  in  the  ^eg,  and  the  command  devolved 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  181 

on  Captain  Morgan;  who,  attacking  the  first  barrier, 
scaled  the  battery,  and  made  the  captain  and  thirty 
men  prisoners.  A  fire  from  the  walls  thinned  the 
ranks  of  the  Americans  as  he  led  them  on  to  the 
second  barrier.  This  also  was  taken,  after  a  brave 
defence.  The  way  to  victory  now  seemed  open  ;  but 
the  death  of  Montgomery,  and  the  retreat  of  Camp- 
bell, had  drawn  out  a  large  detachment  from  Carle- 
ton;  and  Morgan  and  his  men  being  surrounded, 
were  compelled  to  surrender  as  prisoners  of  war. 
Arnold,  wounded  as  he  was,  and  dragging  along  his 
helpless  limb,  exposed  to  the  fire  of  the  enemy, 
assumed  the  command  of  the  shattered  forces ;  and 
put  his  troops  in  such  a  condition  as  to  render  them 
formidable.  No  pursuit  was  therefore  attempted  by 
General  Carleton.  The  remains  of  the  gallant  Mont- 
gomery were  interred  by  Carambe,  the  lieutenant- 
governor,  who  formerly  knew  him ;  and  now  honored 
him  with  a  soldier's  obsequies.  The  most  eminent 
orators  in  the  British  Parliament  displayed  their  elo- 
quence in  laudation  of  his  virtues;  and  his  death  was 
universally  lamented.  Congress  directed  a  monu- 
ment to  be  erected  to  his  memory.  Four  hundred 
men  were  lost  in  this  engagement.  The  rest  fortified 
themselves  within  three  miles  of  Quebec,  which  Ar- 
nold continued  to  blockade  during  the  winter,  with 
not  more  than  five  hundred  effective  troops. 

While  these  things  were  taking  place  in  the  north, 

a  vessel  was  captured  which  Lord  Dunmore  had  sent 

to  the  relief  of  Boston ;  and  letters  were  intercepted 

to  the  British  general,  which  invited  him  to  make  the 

16 


182  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

south  the  seat  of  war,  and  aid  his  operations  by  the 
excitement  of  a  servile  insurrection. 

The  year  1775  was  now  closing.  It  was  a  period 
of  intense  anxiety  to  "Washington,  who  saw  his  army 
gradually  melting  away,  in  spite  of  all  his  exertions. 
His  appeals  to  their  patriotism  were  unheeded ;  and 
their  homes  possessed  greater  attractions  for  the 
troops,  than  their  country's  glory  and  welfare.  Wash- 
ington was  aided  by  none  with  more  sympathy  at 
that  time,  than  by  General  Greene  ;  who,  in  the  dark- 
est hours  of  this  sad  period,  still  indulged  in  cheering 
hopes,  and  anticipated  the  assembling  of  a  full  army 
within  six  weeks. 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  183 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

CONDITION  OP  THE  ARMY  —  KNOX  BRINGS  AMMUNITION  —  LEE  SENT  TO 
NEW  YORK  TO  PREPARE  DEFENCES  AND  FORTIFY  THE  HUDSON  — 
TAKES  THE  COMMAND  IN  CANADA BRITISH  THEATRICALS WASH- 
INGTON'S ANXIETY PREPARATION  TO  TAKE  DORCHESTER  HEIGHTS— 

THE  HEIGHTS    CAPTURED,   AND    SURPRISE    OF    THE    BRITISH THEIR 

PREPARATIONS  FOR  EMBARKATION  FROM  BOSTON  —  WASHINGTON 
ENTERS  BOSTON  IN  TRIUMPH  —  CONGRESS  PASSES  A  VOTE  OF  THANKS 
TO  WASHINGTON,  AND  A  GOLD  MEDAL  IS  STRUCK  REPRESENTING  HIM 

AS  THE    DELIVERER    OF    THE    CITY DESTINATION    OF    THE    BRITISH 

FLEET — THE  SERVICE  DIVIDED  INTO  TWO  DEPARTMENTS  BY  CONGRESS 

GENERAL  LEE  APPOINTED    TO    THE    SOUTH GENERAL  THOMAS  TO 

CANADA PUTNAM    COMMANDS    NEW    YORK GENERAL    GREENE    IV 

COMMAND  AT  LONG  ISLAND  AND  BROOKLYN. 

THE  American  army  did  not  amount,  in  January, 
1776,  to  ten  thousand  effective  men ;  and  to  raise  even 
this  force,  which  was  distributed  in  half-filled  regi- 
ments, it  was  necessary  to  grant  the  men  a  very  large 
number  of  furloughs.  The  troops  who  returned  home 
were  required  to  leave  their  arms  for  those  who  were 
now  enlisted,  who  either  brought  their  own  guns  or 
paid  a  dollar  a-piece  for  the  use  of  arms  during  the 
campaign.  Any  one  who  brought  a  blanket  received 
two  dollars,  and  few  were  equipped  in  uniforms. 
The  lines  of  the  army  were  at  times  so  extremely 
weak,  that  they  could  have  been  easily  forced.  Per- 
haps history  does  not  present  a  similar  instance  of  a 
post  being  maintained  during  six  whole  mouths  with- 


184  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

out  a  supply  of  ammunition  ;  while  in  the  camp,  one 
army  was  dismissed,  and  another  organized  in  the 
presence  of  an  observant  and  vigilant  enemy.  "While 
the  army  was  reposing  at  night,  Washington  kept  his 
anxious  vigils ;  and  no  commanding  officer,  in  any 
great  and  perilous  crisis  of  his  country's  fate,  delibe- 
rated with  more  anxiety  and  assiduity  than  did  Wash- 
ington, as  to  the  means  by  which  he  might  overcome 
the  enemy  intrenched  in  Boston.  He  now  regretted 
that  he  had  not  already  made  an  attack  on  that  city; 
and  resolved  so  to  do  as  soon  as  it  became  possible.  He 
received  information  from  Knox,  whom  he  had  sent 
to  Ticonderoga  for  ammunition  and  ordinances.  He 
had  obtained  forty-two  strong  sleds  and  fifty  yoke  of 
oxen,  to  convey  stores  to  Springfield.  This  was  a 
source  of  encouragement ;  and  the  energy  with  which 
the  commission  was  executed,  was  enough  to  evince 
the  ability  of  the  officer. 

Early  in  January  a  great  commotion  appeared  in 
Boston  harbor,  and  arrangements  were  made  for  em- 
barking troops.  An  intercepted  letter  had  been  laid 
before  Congress,  revealing  a  secret  plan  for  gaining 
over  New  York  and  Albany,  through  Governor 
Tryon.  All  those  who  did  not  join  the  king's  forces 
were  to  be  considered  as  rebels.  The  Hudson  and 
East  Rivers  were  to  be  filled  with  English  ships  of 
war,  and  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point  were  to  be 
recaptured  from  the  Americans.  This  revelation  ren- 
dered Congress  anxious  in  reference  to  the  Hudson, 
and  its  protection.  Sir  Henry  Clinton  was  supposed 
to  be  about  to  lead  an  expedition  against  New  York*, 
and  Genera.  Lee,  in  a  letter  to  Washington,  urged 


OP    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  185 

him  to  act  at  once,  and  without  waiting  for  the  sanc- 
tion of  Congress,  to  seize  New  York.  Washington 
conferred  with  John  Adams,  one  of  the  most  influen 
tial  members  of  Congress,  in  regard  to  the  matter. 
He  thought  that  town  was  within  the  limits  of  his 
command,  as  much  as  Boston.  Lee  was  therefore 
directed  to  raise  volunteers  in  Connecticut,  and  march 
at  their  head  to  ISTew  York ;  to  put  the  posts  on  the 
Hudson  in  a  state  of  defence ;  and  to  carry  out  the 
views  of  Congress  in  taking  full  possession  of  every- 
thing useful  to  the  army.  The  people  of  New  York 
having  heard  of  Lee's  intentions  to  take  military 
possession  of  the  city,  some  of  them  left  it ;  and  the 
committee  of  safety  showed  the  impropriety  of  pro- 
voking hostilities,  through  a  letter  by  their  chairman, 
Van  Cortlandt.  Lee  wrote  in  answer  that  he  did 
not  intend  to  commence  hostilities  with  the  ships  of 
war  then  riding  in  the  harbor,  but  that  he  merely 
wished  to  carry  into  effect  the  commands  of  the  gene- 
ral, and  exclude  the  enemy  from  the  city  and  from 
Long  Island.  He  promised  to  take  only  such  troops 
with  him  as  might  be  necessary  to  secure  the  city 
against  the  designs  of  the  enemy. 

Washington  was  much  disturbed  when  a  letter 
from  General  Schuyler  informed  him  of  the  disastrous 
events  which  had  transpired  in  Canada.  He  could 
not  spare  any  soldiers  from  Boston ;  but  three  regi- 
ments were  granted  from  New  England,  and  more 
reinforcements  were  promised.  Schuyler  afterward 
forced  Sir  John  Johnson  to  capitulate,  and  to  surrendei 
all  the  arms  and  military  stores  which  he  possessed ; 
and  after  the  capitulation  took  place,  behaved  with 
16* 


186  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

great  generosity  to  the  fallen  foe.  As  the  province 
of  New  York  was  the  central  link  which  bound  the 
Colonial  Confederacy  together,  "Washington  became 
very  anxious  respecting  it ;  and  looked  to  Gen.  Lee 
to  adopt  such  measures  as  were  necessary  to  make 
headway  against  the  enemy,  as  well  as  to  conciliate  the 
inhabitants.  Clinton  entered  New  York  on  the  same 
day  on  which  Lee  arrived;  but  only,  as  he  said,  on  a 
visit  to  his  friend  Tryon.  Lee  had  proceeded  to  erect 
a  strong  redoubt,  which  would  contain  three  hundred 
men,  at  a  point  commanding  the  pass  at  Hell  Gate, 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  exclude  the  enemy's  ships 
from  Long  Island.  A  regiment  was  preparing  to  make 
an  intrenched  camp,  so  as  to  prevent  the  foe  from 
obtaining  a  foothold ;  and  in  order  to  keep  the  fire 
of  the  ships  of  the  enemy  at  due  distance,  batteries 
were  erected  behind  Trinity  Church.  Heavy  cannon 
were  to  be  sent  to  defend  the  forts  in  the  highlands. 
While  Lee  was  busied  in  effecting  these  changes,  he 
received  orders  to  take  the  command  in  Canada. 

The  monotony  in  Boston  during  this  period  was 
such,  that  private  theatricals  were  enacted  by  the 
British  officers ;  and  a  farce  was  played  called  the 
"Blockade  of  Boston,"  in  which  Washington  was 
exhibited  in  a  big  wig,  and  a  long,  rusty  sword.  The 
play  was  put  an  end  to  by  General  Howe,  who  said : 
"  Officers,  to  your  alarm  posts !"  It  was  then  that 
Putnam  ordered  Major  Knowlton  to  surprise  and 
capture  a  British  guard  stationed  at  Charlestown. 
The  public  now  began  to  consider  Washington  as 
slow  in  his  operations,  and  it  required  much  self- 
denial  on  his  part  to  refrain  from  putting  everything 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  187 

on  the  cast  of  one  adventurous  die.  Even  before  hia 
own  officers,  he  was  compelled  to  conceal  his  situa- 
tion ;  which,  at  that  time,  must  have  been  extremely 
irksome  and  disagreeable. 

"Washington  now  summoned  a  council  of  war,  and 
proposed  a  general  assault  upon  the  British  works, 
but  it  was  declined  almost  unanimously,  on  account 
of  the  scarcity  of  ammunition.    A  cannonade  and  bom- 
bardment were  deemed  more  advisable,  when  a  suffi- 
cient supply  of  powder  should  be  obtained.     Prepa- 
rations were  now  made  for  taking  Dorchester  Heights 
and  Noddle's  Island.    Colonel  Knox  at  length  arrived 
in  the  camp  with  cannons,  mortars,  flints,  and  lead 
in  abundance.     There  came  also  ammunition  from 
the  royal  arsenal  in  New  York,  and  ten  regiments 
of  militia.     Thus   matters  were   assuming   a  more 
cheering  aspect.   Everything  depended  on  the  success 
of  the  attempt  now  about  to  be  made.    All  games  of 
hazard  were  banished  from  the  camp ;  for  the  troops 
were  about  to  contend  for  the  glorious  cause  of  liberty, 
which  was  a  sacred  and  holy  enterprise.     A  procla- 
mation was  made,  that  should  any  one  attempt  to 
desert  he  would  be  shot  down. 

The  evening  of  Monday,  the  4th  of  March,  1776, 
was  fixed  upon  for  the  taking  of  the  heights.  The 
ground  was  frozen  eighteen  inches  deep,  and  was 
difficult  to  be  intrenched.  Materials  had  been  col- 
lected some  time  previously,  consisting  of  bundles  of 
screwed  hay,  fascines,  and  gabions.  The  enemy's 
batteries  were  cannonaded  and  bombarded  to  call  off 
the  attention  from  the  real  purpose  in  view,  and  the 
spirited  reply  made  such  an  overwhelming  din,  that 


188  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

the  rumbling  of  wagons  and  ordinance  carriages  wag 
entirely  unheard,  and  the  enemy  had  no  suspicion  of 
the  purpose  of  the  Americans.     Eight  hundred  men, 
with  intrenching  tools  and  carts,  advanced  to  their 
task ;  and  General  Thomas,  with  the  working  party 
of  twelve  hundred  men,  and  three  hundred  wagons, 
with  the  fascines,  gabions,  and  screwed-hay  bundles, 
eight  tons  in  weight,  made  such  a  disposition  of  ma 
terials  as  to  protect  the  troops  from  being  raked  by 
the  enemy's   shot.     The  whole   of  the  detachment 
escaped  observation,  and  reached  the  heights  at  eight 
o'clock,  when  they  formed  in  two  divisions;  one  going 
to  the  point  nearest  to  Boston,  the   other  to  that 
nearest  to  Castle  Williams.     "Washington  inspected 
the  works  in  person;  as  the  men,  under  the  eye  of  the 
commander,  exerted  themselves  with  greater  diligence. 
They  commenced  fortifying  by  digging  the  frozen 
ground,  under  the  direction  of  Gridlej^,  who  had  super- 
intended the  defences  on  Bunker  Hill.     So  rapidly 
did  the  work  progress,  that  on  the  arrival  of  a  relief 
party  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  two  forts  had 
been  erected  capable  of  resisting  grapeshot  and  small 
arms ;  and  the  fortress  exhibited  such  a  formidable 
appearance  as  to  inspire  astonishment  in  the  British 
camp  as  soon  as  day  dawned,  resembling  in  the  cele- 
rity of  its  creation,  the  castle  which  was  constructed 
in  a  night  by  the  slave  of  the  wonderful  lamp.   Howe 
looked  up,  and  declared  "  the  rebels  had  done  more 
in  one  night,  than  his  army  would  have  accomplished 
in  a  month."     Two  thousand  men  reinforced  Gene- 
ral Thomas;  and  Putnam,  with  four  thousand  picked 
troops,  was  now  ready  for  the  attack.     Washington, 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  189 

as  lie  rode  through  the  lines,  reminded  the  men  that  it 
was  the  5th  of  March,  the  anniversary  of  the  Boston 
massacre ;  and  he  stirred  up  their  warlike  enthusiasm 
to  such  a  pitch,  that  they  panted  for  action.  The  Ame- 
ricans now  held  the  heights  which  commanded  Bos- 
ton ;  their  shells  could  reach  the  houses  and  the  ships; 
and  the  enemy  must  either  be  dislodged,  or  Boston 
be  evacuated. 

Such  was  the  situation  of  the  British.  Howe, 
therefore,  determined  on  a  night  attack;  but  when 
twenty-five  hundred  men  were  ready  to  embark  at 
Castle  Williams,  the  surf  was  so  heavy  that  they 
could  not  reach  the  place,  and  a  succession  of  stormy 
days  prevented  their  subsequent  embarkation.  Mean- 
while the  works  of  the  Americans  grew  so  strong 
that  Howe  despaired  of  success,  and  was  necessitated 
to  abandon  Boston.  He  operated  on  the  fears  of  the 
inhabitants  by  saying,  that  if  his  troops  should  be 
harassed  in  the  evacuation  of  the  city,  he  would  be 
compelled  to  set  fire  to  it  in  order  to  cover  his  retreat. 

The  people  did  not  relish  this  dilemma;  and  a  paper, 
signed  by  the  chief  inhabitants,  setting  forth  that 
General  Howe  had  promised  not  to  injure  the  city  if 
his  troops  were  permitted  to  retire  unmolested,  was 
sent  into  the  camp  on  the  8th,  with  a  flag  of  truce, 
and  taken  to  head-quarters.  As  it  was  not  authenti- 
cated by  Howe,  it  received  no  answer  from  Washing- 
ton ;  and  while  the  flag  returned,  the  Americans  for- 
tified themselves  yet  more  strongly.  On  the  night 
of  the  9th  the  Americans  attempted  to  erect  a  battery 
on  Nook's  Hill,  but  were  discovered;  and  a  fierce 
cannonading  again  terrified  the  Bostonians.  Put- 


190  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

nam's  mortar,  the  "  Congress,"  burst  on  this  occa- 
sion, and  the  Americans  were  compelled  to  abandon 
the  undertaking  for  the  present. 

The  enemy,  in  preparing  to  depart,  had  ordered 
that  all  linen  and  woollen  goods,  and  such  as  might 
aid  the  rebels  in  carrying  on  the  war,  should  be 
given  up.  Under  this  commission  such  depredations 
were  carried  on,  that  it  was  declared  that  the  first 
soldier  who  was  found  stealing  should  be  hanged. 
Yet  the  plunder  continued  unchecked.  Adverse 
winds  delayed  the  embarkation  of  the  British,  and 
the  Americans  threw  up  a  breastwork  on  Nook's 
Hill,  though  the  enemy  cannonaded  them.  A  report 
that  a  general  assault  was  now  intended,  hastened 
the  embarkation  ;  and  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning 
a  scene  of  great  tumult  and  confusion  was  exhibited. 
Seventy-eight  ships  and  transports,  with  eleven  thou- 
sand men,  were  preparing  to  depart ;  and  their  pre- 
parations being  at  length  completed,  the  discomfited 
fleet  set  sail.  The  movements  of  the  enemy  had  been 
watched  by  land  and  water;  and  the  scouts  sent  to 
reconnoitre  found  sentinels  posted,  who  remained 
motionless.  They  turned  out,  upon  examination,  to 
be  mere  effigies.  Putnam's  troops  were  then  ordered 
to  occupy  Boston ;  General  Ward's  corps  of  five  hun- 
dred men  advanced  from  Roxbury ;  and  by  ten  o'clock 
the  flag  of  thirteen  stripes  waved  above  the  forts  and 
steeples  of  Boston. 

On  the  next  day  "Washington  entered  the  evacu- 
ated city,  and  was  received  with  great  joy.  There 
were  traces  of  the  bombardment  all  around,  and 
evidences  of  the  confusion  and  distress  that  had  pre- 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  191 

vailed  in  the  enemy's  camp.  It  is  said  that  in  sailing 
out  of  the  harbor,  General  Howe  had  the  vexation 
to  receive  despatches  from  the  ministry,  approving 
of  his  resolution  to  keep  his  post  until  he  was  rein- 
forced. The  fleet  lingered  for  some  time  in  Nan- 
tucket  Roads,  and  "Washington  threw  up  defences 
on  Fort  Hill,  lest  the  British  should  attempt  some- 
thing there.  The  fleet,  however,  soon  vanished,  and 
the  applause  of  the  nation  was  at  length  given  to 
Washington,  who  had,  with  undisciplined  troops,  ex- 
pelled an  army  of  veterans,  marshalled  under  one  of 
the  most  distinguished  of  British  generals.  On  the 
motion  of  John  Adams,  Congress  passed  a  unani- 
mous vote  of  thanks  to  Washington ;  and  ordered  a 
gold  medal  to  be  struck,  in  which  the  deliverance  of 
Boston  was  ascribed  to  him.  The  destination  of  the 
British  fleet  was  supposed  to  be  New  York;  but 
Howe  steered  for  Halifax,  to  await  reinforcements 
from  England,  and  the  fleet  of  his  brother,  Lord  Howe. 
As  the  middle  and  southern  colonies  were  sup- 
posed to  be  the  scene  of  the  future  operations  of  the 
enemy,  Congress  divided  these  colonies  into  two 
parts ;  the  first  consisting  of  New  York,  New  Jersey, 
Pennsylvania,  Delaware,  and  Maryland;  the  other 
embracing  Virginia,  the  Carolinas,  and  Georgia.  A 
major-general  and  four  brigadier-generals  were  to 
command  the  northern,  and  a  major-general  and 
four  brigadiers,  the  southern  division.  General  Lee 
was  appointed  to  the  southern  department,  to  watch 
the  motions  of  Sir  Henry  Clinton ;  and  the  command 
in  Canada  was  entrusted  to  General  Thomas,  lately 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  major-general.  General 


192  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

Schuyler  was  ordered  to  superintend  the  defences  of 
New  York,  the  Hudson,  and  all  the  affairs  of  the 
middle  department. 

Brigadier-General  Lord  Sterling  had  taken  tempo- 
rary command  of  New  York  when  Lee  departed. 
As  that  city  seemed  to  be  the  future  destination  of 
the  British  fleet,  Washington  sent  detachments  thither 
under  Generals  Heath  and  Sullivan,  and  wrote  for 
three  thousand  men  from  Connecticut.  General  Put- 
nam was  put  in  command  of  the  whole  force,  with 
orders  to  complete  the  defences  of  the  city  and  of  the 
Hudson,  as  Lee  had  planned  and  commenced  them. 
After  sending  on  divisions  of  the  main  body,  Wash- 
ington intended  to  follow.  Meanwhile,  the  greatest 
strictness  of  discipline  prevailed  in  the  city,  and  under 
the  command  of  Putnam.  No  one  could  pass  a  sentry 
without  the  countersign,  and  the  ships  in  the  harbor 
were  forbidden  to  obtain  any  additional  provisions. 
All  communication  between  the  ships  and  the  shore 
was  prohibited,  and  any  person  found  holding  such 
intercourse  was  to  be  treated  as  an  enemy.  Most  of 
the  works  which  General  Lee  had  begun  were  fin- 
ished ;  and  as  Long  Island  and  Brooklyn  were  pre- 
sumed to  be  the  scene  of  the  chief  operations  of  the  , 
enemy,  Washington,  who  was  now  on  his  way  to  New 
York,  appointed  General  Greene,  with  a  division  of 
the  army,  to  that  important  post.  The  whole  Ameri- 
can force  then  in  New  York  and  its  environs,  and  on 
Long  Island  and  Staten  Island,  amounted  to  ten  thou- 
sand men ;  but  on  account  of  sickness  and  furloughs, 
there  were  not  above  eight  thousand  effective  troops, 
who  were  without  pay,  and  many  of  them  even  with- 
out arms. 


OP    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  193 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  DEFENCE  OP  NEW  YORK  AND  THE  HUDSON  —  DISASTROUS  NEWS 
FROM  CANADA  —  WASHINGTON'S  APPEARANCE  IN  CONGRESS  —  ITS 
IMPORTANT  CONSEQUENCES — THE  AMERICAN  FORCES  COMPELLED 

TO    RETIRE    FROM    CANADA A   CONSPIRACY,    AND    ITS    SUPPRESSION 

—  THE     DECLARATION     OF     INDEPENDENCE THE     BRITISH    FORCES 

IN  THE  VICINITY  OF  NEW  YORK.  —  ON  STATEN  ISLAND  —  IN  THE 
HUDSON  —  DISPUTED  QUESTION  OF  COMMAND  BETWEEN  GATES  AND 
SCHUYLER  —  THE  BRITISH  FORCED  TO  GIYE  UP  THEIR  ATTEMPT 
ON  CHARLESTON  —  THE  SUCCESS  OF  GENERAL  LEE  AND  COLONEL 
MOULTRIE  —  WASHINGTON  COMMENDS  THE  BEHAVIOR  OF  THE  AME- 
RICAN TROOPS. 

THE  defence  of  New  York  and  of  the  Hudson  was 
of  the  utmost  importance  to  the  Americans ;  for  the 
British  commanders  opened  the  campaign  of  1776 
with  a  force,  including  army  and  navy,  of  fifty-five 
thousand  men.  New  York  was  to  be  the  centre  of 
operations,  and  the  navy  was  prepared  to  supply  the 
army  with  provisions  from  the  islands.  A  very  great 
advantage  which  the  royal  troops  possessed  over  the 
Americans,  during  the  whole  conflict,  was  the  facility 
with  which  soldiers  and  the  munitions  of  war  could 
be  transported  from  one  place  and  one  department 
of  the  service  to  another.  But  important  as  was  New 
York,  Canada  also  demanded  attention,  and  the  army 
there  received  a  reinforcement  of  four  regiments 
under  Brigadier-General  Thompson,  and  six  regi- 
17  N 


194  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

ments  under  Brigadier-General  Sullivan.  These  were 
sent  to  join  General  Thomas,  and  were  all  the  assist- 
ance which  could  then  be  spared.  Arnold  kept  up 
the  blockade  of  Quebec  during  the  whole  winter; 
and  in  consideration  of  his  gallantry,  he  was  raised 
by  Congress  to  the  rank  of  brigadier-general.  He 
had  every  possible  disadvantage  to  contend  against, 
from  want  of  money,  necessaries,  and  troops.  The 
army  which  he  commanded  numbered  only  a  few 
hundred,  and  sickness  had  much  reduced  them. 

General  Thomas  arrived  at  the  camp  during  April ; 
and  when  the  river  became  clear  of  ice,  he  resolved 
to  make  a  bold  effort  to  take  Quebec.  His  plan  was 
to  scale  the  walls  while  the  enemy's  vessels  were  en- 
veloped in  flames  from  a  fire-ship  which  he  intended 
to  send  among  them.  The  plan  failed ;  and  General 
Carleton  in  return  made  a  sortie  with  nearly  a  thou 
sand  men.  As  the  Americans  could  not  resist  so 
large  a  force,  being  able  to  muster  only  three  hun- 
dred men  at  any  given  point,  they  lost  their  artillery, 
baggage,  and  almost  all  beside,  and  left  even  the  sick 
behind  them.  General  Thomas  halted  at  Point  De- 
chambault,  and  in  a  council  of  war  they  resolved  to 
proceed  farther  up  the  river.  The  despatches  of 
General  Thomas  had  greatly  discouraged  General 
Schuyler,  but  "Washington  hoped  that  the  losses  in- 
curred were  not  irretrievable.  The  news  of  these 
disasters,  however,  produced  such  an  effect  in  the 
New  Hampshire  Grants,  that  it  operated  disadvanta- 
geously  against  Schuyler;  and  much  ill-will  was 
already  manifested.  Bold  imputations  against  his 
conduct  and  character  were  now  made,  of  which  he 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  195 

took  no  notice  at  the  time.  At  length,  however,  he 
insisted  on  an  examination  being  made  into  them, 
and  the  scrutiny  ended  in  his  honorable  acquittal. 
As  the  events  transpiring  in  Canada  were  highly  im- 
portant, Washington  sent  General  Gates  to  Congress 
with  the  despatches ;  and  that  body  conferred  on  the 
bearer  the  rank  of  major-general. 

Washington  was  now  summoned  to  Philadelphia, 
to  confer  with  Congress  in  reference  to  the  campaign. 
He  set  out  accompanied  by  Mrs.  Washington,  leav- 
ing Putnam  to  command  the  troops  in  New  York  in 
his  absence.  Several  important  consequences  fol- 
lowed this  conference  with  the  Congress.  It  was  re- 
solved that  soldiers  should  be  enlisted  for  three  years, 
and  a  bounty  of  ten  dollars  be  given  to  each  sol- 
dier. Thirteen  thousand  eight  hundred  militia  were 
to  reinforce  New  York  till  December  1st,  1776,  and 
a  flying  camp  of  ten  thousand  militia  was  to  be  sta- 
tioned in  Jersey.  Washington  was  empowered  to 
call  on  the  neighboring  colonies  for  aid  from  their 
militia,  if  he  deemed  it  necessary.  A  regular  war- 
office  was  also  established,  which  was  an  important 
improvement,  inasmuch  as  Congress  had  previously 
been  referred  to  in  every  case,  by  which  process  much 
time  was  frequently  lost. 

The  despatches  received  from  Canada  at  this  period 
were  ladened  with  news  of  disasters.  General  Arnold 
had  left  Colonel  Bedell  m  command  of  a  post  called 
the  "Cedars;"  and  BecK1!!,  having  heard  of  a  large  force 
setting  out  to  attack  him,  placed  Major  Butterlield  in 
command,  and  hastened  to  Montreal  for  reinforce- 
ments. Arnold  sent  a  hundred  men  under  Major 


196  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

Sherbourne  to  the  relief  of  the  post,  and  prepared  to 
follow  in  person  with  a  larger  force.  The  whole  affair 
turned  out  most  unfortunately.  In  the  meantime  the 
"  Cedars "  were  besieged,  and  the  troops  were  com- 
pelled to  surrender;  the  party  of  Sherbourne  was 
attacked  and  captured  by  Indians;  and  Arnold,  who 
set  out  in  the  pursuit,  could  effect  nothing  except  an 
agreement  with  Captain  Foster,  that  the  captives 
should  be  exchanged  for  a  like  number  of  equal  rank. 
Washington,  on  hearing  of  these  events,  became 
anxious  about  Montreal,  the  loss  of  which  would  now 
be  in  substance  the  loss  of  Canada.  General  Thomas, 
having  retreated  to  the  mouth  of  the  Sorel,  found 
General  Thompson  preparing  for  its  defence ;  and 
being  taken  ill  with  the  small-pox,  went  to  Chamblee, 
where  he  died  of  that  disease  on  the  2d  of  June. 
General  Wooster  having  been  recalled,  General  Sul- 
livan took  the  command,  and  soon  joined  General 
Thompson,  whom  he  detached  to  aid  St.  Clair.  The 
latter  had  been  sent  to  the  Three  Rivers,  to  check  the 
operations  of  Colonel  Maclean.  His  orders  were,  not 
to  attack  Three  Rivers,  unless  with  a  certain  pros- 
pect of  victory.  The  accounts  sent  by  Sullivan  to 
General  "Washington  were  full  of  encouragement  and 
hope.  The  commandor-in-chief  had  correctly  esti- 
mated the  merits  of  that  officer  in  a  letter  to  the 
President  of  Congress;  but  in  the  meantime,  that 
body  had  appointed  Major-General  Gates  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  troops  in  Canada.  The  aspect  of  affairs 
was  now  changed.  The  enemy  was  reinforced  with 
thirteen  thousand  men ;  and  General  Thompson,  who 
was  not  aware  of  this  fact,  and  intended  to  effect  a 


OP    GEOKGE    WASHINGTON.  197 

Burprise  at  Three  Rivers,  was  led  by  treacherous 
guides  into  a  morass;  was  cannonaded  in  passing 
through  it;  and  on  arriving  at  Three  Rivers,  was  at- 
tacked by  General  Frazer,  repulsed,  and  he  and  Colo- 
nel Irvine  were  captured.  Two  hundred  prisoners 
were  made,  and  twenty-five  persons  killed.  The  re- 
mainder were  driven  through  the  swarnp,  and  after 
enduring  great  suffering,  found  their  way  back  to  the 
Sorel.  General  Sullivan  contended  manfully  against 
every  misfortune.  A  council  of  war  being  summoned, 
he  was  induced  to  leave  the  Sorel ;  after  having  dis- 
mantled the  fortifications,  and  taken 'his  guns  along 
with  him,  he  was  joined  by  Arnold  and  the  garrison 
of  Montreal;  and  having  destroyed  everything  at 
Chamblee  and  St.  John's,  continued  his  retreat  to  the 
Isle  aux  Noix,  where  he  waited  for  further  orders. 
Having  obtained  these,  he  embarked  for  Crown 
Point;  and  thus  terminated  the  memorable  but  fruit- 
less invasion  of  Canada. 

A  conspiracy  was  organized  at  this  time,  by  the 
Tories  in  the  city  of  New  York  and  on  Long  Island, 
for  the  purpose  of  assisting  the  enemy  in  their  ap- 
proach to  New  York;  and  it  was  resolved  that  Wash- 
ington should  either  be  captured  or  slain  by  the  con- 
spirators. The  plot  was  detected,  and  one  of  the 
general's  body-guard  hanged  as  an  accomplice.  While 
the  public  were  yet  pondering  upon  this  event,  fjur 
ships-of-war  anchored  in  the  bay.  The  troops  which 
had  lately  been  expelled  from  Boston,  and  six  trans- 
ports filled  with  Highland  troops,  were  now  in  sight. 
Washington  knew  that  General  Howe  was  waiting 
for  Irs  brother  to  commence  hostile  demonstrations. 
17* 


198  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

He  ordered  all  the  troops,  on  the  2d  of  July,  to  pre- 
pare for  a  conflict  which  was  to  be  decisive  in  ita 
effects;  promising  that  acts  of  bravery  would  be  re- 
warded, and  those  of  cowardice  would  meet  with 
punishment.  While  the  city  was  thus  threatened,  the 
Congress  at  Philadelphia  was  engaged  in  deliberating 
on  the  momentous  question  of  American  independ- 
ence ;  and  on  the  2d  of  July,  1776,  resolutions  were 
unanimously  passed,  that  these  united  colonies  were, 
and  ought  of  right  to  be,  free  and  independent  States. 
This  declaration  was  hailed  with  joy  by  "Washington, 
on  the  9th  of  July;  and  he  ordered  it  to  be  read  at  six 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  at  the  head  of  every  brigade. 
The  populace  of  New  York  pulled  down  the  statue  of 
George  III.  in  the  Bowling  Green.  It  was  afterward 
broken  up,  and  being  made  of  lead  —  a  very  appro- 
priate and  significant  material,  —  it  was  melted  into 
bullets.  "Washington  censured  this  display  of  enthu- 
siasm, or  at  least  the  part  which  some  of  the  soldiers 
had  taken  in  the  transaction,  as  exhibiting  a  want  of 
discipline.  Several  other  ships  appeared  on  the  12th 
of  July  in  the  bay,  and  joined  the  hostile  fleet.  The 
Phoenix  and  Rose,  emboldened  by  this  accession  of 
strength,  sailed  up  the  Hudson.  The  batteries  of  the 
city,  and  on  Paulus  Hook,  fired  upon  them  as  they 
passed  ;  and  the  city  was  full  of  consternation.  Wash- 
ington suspected  that  their  purpose  might  be  to  com- 
mand the  passeg  of  the  highlands;  and  as  Forts 
Montgomery  and  Mrfflin  were  not  completed,  he  sent 
an  express  to  General  MifHin,  advising  him  to  be  on 
his  guard,  and  he  dispatched  orders  to  others  in  com- 
mand, in  important  places,  to  the  same  effect.  George 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  199 

Clinton  had  been  appointed  brigadier-general  of  tho 
militia  in  Ulster  and  Orange  Counties.  Washington 
wrote  to  him  to  protect  the  highlands  against  the 
enemy  with  all  the  forces  he  could  obtain.  But  he 
had  already  anticipated  the  order.  Three  regiments 
had  been  sent  to  Fort  Montgomery,  Forts  Constitu- 
tion and  Newburgh;  and  all  the  other  regiments 
were  placed  in  readiness  for  immediate  action.  Clin- 
ton directed  also  that  all  the  boats  should  be  drawn 
off,  so  as  to  keep  them  from  grounding;  and  after 
having  visited  Fort  Constitution,  fixed  his  head- 
quarters at  Fort  Montgomery.  Here  he  received 
"Washington's  letter,  and  in  his  reply  bore  witness  to 
the  patriotism  of  the  yeomanry  in  leaving  their  fields 
in  the  defence  of  their  country. 

While  these  events  were  passing  in  the  highlands, 
the  danger  had  become  imminent  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Hudson ;  every  one  admired  the  great  size  of  a 
noble  man-of-war  vessel  which  now  hove  in  sight  in 
the  bay ;  and  each  ship  of  the  enemy's  fleet  compli- 
mented her  with  a  thundering  salute  as  she  sailed  by. 
She  bore  the  flag  of  St.  George,  and  it  soon  became 
rumored  that  it  was  the  Admiral's  ship,  and  that 
Lord  Howe  had  arrived.  Such  indeed  was  the  fact. 
A  formidable  British  force  had  now  assembled;  and  a 
contest  with  it,  at  fearful  odds,  was  soon  to  task  to 
the  utmost  the  capacities  of  Washington  and  the 
American  troops. 

The  Assembly  of  the  colony  of  New  York,  located 
at  White  Plains,  had  a  secret  committee.  To  them 
Washington  now  wrote,  suggesting  the  policy  of  re- 
moving from  ISTew  York  and  the  vicinity,  all  who 


200  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

were  known  to  be  enemies  to  the  patriotic  cause 
Thirteen  persons  then  in  confinement,  were  taken  to 
Litchfield  jail  in  Connecticut;  among  them  was  a 
certain  major,  who  had  been  suspected  of  treachery; 
but  on  being  seized,  and  his  papers  examined,  no- 
thing was  discovered  that  criminated  him.  Lord 
Howe  was  opposed  to  the  continuance  of  hostilities. 
One  of  his  first  movements  after  his  arrival,  was  to 
proclaim  the  extensive  powers  which  were  invested  in 
his  brother  and  in  himself,  to  make  peace ;  to  urge 
upon  any  who  had  left  their  allegiance,  to  return  to 
it ;  and  promised  a  free  pardon  to  all  who  did  so. 
He  added  that  all  those  who  rendered  any  service  to 
the  British,  domination  would,  when  the  war  was 
ended,  meet  with  due  consideration.  The  Declara- 
tion of  Independence  had  preceded  him  ;  but  it  was 
hoped  by  the  British  that  the  royal  cause  would  find 
partisans  by  the  proffer  of  these  inducements. 

In  a  few  days  Lieutenant  Brown,  of  the  British 
Navy,  was  sent  with  a  flag  of  truce  from  Lord  Howe, 
and  a  letter  addressed  to  "  George  Washington,  Esq." 
He  expressed  the  desire  to  hold  a  conference  with 
Mr.  Washington.  Colonel  Reed  replied  to  the  bearer 
that  he  knew  of  no  such  person  in  the  American 
army  as  Mr-. "Washington;  and  said  that  a  letter  thus 
addressed  could  not  be  received.  The  lieutenant  re- 
gretted that  fact,  as  the  letter  was  of  an  amicable 
spirit  and  import;  adding,  that  Lord  Howe  had 
lamented  the  lateness  of  his  arrival,  and  had  very 
extensive  powers  intrusted  to  him  by  the  British 
monarch.  As  Colonel  Reed  would  not  receive  the 
letter,  the  lieutenant  inquired  by  what  name  General-- 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  201 

then,  correcting  himself — Mr,  Washington,  should  be 
addressed.  Colonel  Eeed  replied  that  his  station  in 
the  American  army  was  such,  that  his  proper  title  was 
universally  known.  The  adjutant-general  of  the  Bri- 
tish commander,  Colonel  Patterson,  was  afterward  sent 
by  General  Howe  to  Washington;  and  was  received 
with  ceremonial  courtesy  —  the  reception  being  held 
by  the  American  commander  in  the  midst  of  his 
guards.  The  colonel  addressed  him  as  his  Excellency, 
during  the  conversation  which  ensued,  and  produced 
a  letter  addressed  to  "George  Washington,  Esq.,  &c., 
&c.,"  the  writer  doubtless  expecting  that  the  et  ceteras, 
which  were  ambiguous,  and  implied  everything, 
would  remove  all  obstacles  of  military  etiquette. 
Washington  replied  that  the  "et  ceteras"  signified 
everything,  but  they  also  might  mean  anything;  that  a 
letter  written  to  a  person  of  an  official  character  should 
be  designated  by  a  definite  title,  whereby  it  could  be 
properly  distinguished ;  and  on  this  account  he  de- 
clined receiving  a  communication  addressed  to  him 
as  a  private  person.  Colonel  Patterson  then  explained 
the  power  which  Lord  Howe  and  his  brother  pos- 
sessed for  effecting  an  accommodation  between  the 
two  countries.  Washington  replied,  their  power 
seemed  to  be  only  to  grant  pardons ;  but  those  who 
had  committed  no  offence  required  no  pardon.  The 
applause  of  Congress  was  subsequently  received  by 
Washington ;  and  the  public  admired  the  dignity 
with  which  he  maintained  his  position  on  this  occasion. 
The  Phoenix  and  Rose  had  roused  a  spirit  of  resist- 
ance as  they  proceeded  along  the  Hudson  ;  and  the 
mountain  passes  of  this  river  were  deemed  so  import- 


202  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

ant,  that  the  New  York  Convention  urged  the  militia 
to  protect  the  military  stores  collected  at  Peekskill. 
and  to  guard  every  avenue  to  the  highlands.  The 
Tappaan  Sea  and  Ilaverstraw  Bay  were  watched  with 
vigilance  by  Colonel  Pierre  Van  Cortlandt,  along 
their  eastern  shore ;  Colonel  Hay  observed  the  west- 
ern as  far  as  the  Donderberg.  The  two  ships  cast 
anchor  both  in  the  Tappaan  Sea  and  Ilaverstraw  Bay, 
keeping  up  communication  with  the  shore.  As  the 
vessels  approached  Fort  Montgomery,  a  guard  was 
prepared  to  light  a  blazing  fire  in  case  of  any  alarm. 
By  this  means,  it  was  expected  the  fort  would  obtain 
an  opportunity  to  fire  at  the  ships  by  the  assistance 
of  the  light.  Five  rafts  also  were  to  be  brought,  and 
an  iron  chain  to  be  cast  across  the  river,  from  Fort 
Montgomery  to  the  foot  of  Anthony's  Nose.  Whale- 
boats  were  prepared  to  reconnoitre;  and  galleys,  with 
nine  pounders  at  the  bows,  were  made  ready  for 
action. 

Washington  was  anxious,  during  this  period,  in 
reference  to  the  prevention  of  an  irruption  from 
Canada;  and  the  question  of  superior  command,  dis- 
puted between  Generals  Gates  and  Schuyler,  gave 
him  much  uneasiness.  Gates  considered  the  army  in 
Canada  under  his  authority,  after  that  province  had 
been  evacuated ;  while  Schuyler  contended  that  the 
command  of  the  army  of  the  north  was  his  alone. 
The  two  generals  agreed  to  refer  the  dispute  to  Con- 
gress for  adjustment;  and  in  the  meantime  to  co-ope- 
rate. They  set  out  together,  and  reached  Crown 
Point,  after  suffering  much  on  Lake  Champlain  from 
leaky  boats,  without  awnings,  under  a  burning  sun, 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  203 

the  army  suffering  from  small-pox ;  with  scarcely  any 
medical  stores,  and  with  little  food  except  rancid 
pork  and  hard  biscuit.  About  six  thousand  men 
reached  Crown  Point,  half  of  whom  were  sick;  and 
two  thousand  eight  hundred  were  sent  to  a  hospital 
at  the  south  end  of  Lake  George.  A  council  of  war 
agreed  that  Crown  Point  was  no  longer  tenable,  and 
that  it  was  more  advisable  to  strengthen  the  defences 
at  Ticonderoga.  General  Sullivan  had  taken  great 
offence  at  the  appointment  of  General  Gates  over 
him,  and  he  now  obtained  leave  of  absence.  Prepa- 
rations were  made  for  strengthening  Ticonderoga, 
and  for  encamping  the  troops  with  all  possible  dis- 
patch. Arnold  joined  Gates  and  Schuyler  on  the  9th 
of  July,  1776  ;  and  Colonel  Trumbull,  who  had  been 
making  observations,  had  fixed  on  a  location  for  a 
fortress,  where  Fort  Independence  was  subsequently 
built.  At  the  place  where  Lake  George  separates 
from  Lake  Champlain,  he  advised  another  fort  to  be 
built ;  but,  unfortunately,  his  advice  was  not  taken, 
and  Fort  Defiance  was  afterward  erected  on  the  same 
spot,  —  an  eminence  that  commanded  both  lakes,  at 
the  narrowest  part  of  each.  Carpenters  from  the 
Eastern  States  were  employed  to  construct  hulls  and 
boats  to  be  sent  to  Ticonderoga,  under  the  command 
of  Arnold.  Congress  decided  the  disputed  question 
of  command  by  informing  Gates,  that  his  commission 
was  independent  of  General  Schuyler  only  when  the 
army  operated  in  Canada.  Gates  professed  to  be 
satisfied  with  this  decision,  but  his  jealousy  was  much 
inflamed  by  his  friend,  the  commissary  Trumbull. 
General  Sullivan,  who  had  proceeded  to  Philadelphia 


204  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

for  the  purpose  of  resigning  his  commission,  received 
such  an  explanation  as  induced  him  to  retain  it,  and 
remain  in  the  service.  The  sectional  jealousy  also, 
which  sprang  up  at  this  period  among  the  troops,  was 
a  source  of  great  anxiety  to  the  commander.  The 
Southern  soldiers  entertained  very  unfriendly  feelings 
toward  those  of  New  England.  The  troops  of  Con- 
necticut, in  particular,  were  laughed  at  by  their  fellow- 
soldiers,  on  account  of  some  peculiarities  which  they 
possessed.  The  Connecticut  light-horse  refused  to 
descend  from  their  horses,  and  became  very  turbulent 
when  required  to  mount  guard.  Colonel  Seymour, 
their  commanding  officer,  sent  a  note  to  Washington 
informing  him  that,  by  the  la\vs  of  Connecticut,  their 
light-horse  were  exempted  from  garrison  duty,  and  in 
fact  from  every  service  which  separated  them  from 
their  horses;  and  that,  therefore,  they  had  not  ex- 
pected to  be  called  upon  to  perform  such  service. 
They  we.re  dismissed,  according' to  their  request;  and 
Washington  told  them,  in  a  reply  that  proved  that 
his  feelings  were  deeply  hurt,  that  if  they  would  not 
do  service  separate  from  their  horses  under  circum- 
stances in  which  they  could  not  possibly  be  used,  he 
did  not  regret  their  departure. 

Washington  now  received  from  General  Lee  an 
account  of  Clinton's  southern  cruise,  who  had  been 
outwitted  at  all  points  by  that  general;  in  New  York, 
in  the  first  instance,  and  afterward  when  he  stopped 
at  Norfolk,  Virginia,  and  in  a  bold  attempt  which  he 
had  made  on  Charleston.  Fort  Johnson,  on  James' 
Island,  three  miles  distant  from  Charleston,  which 
had  full  command  of  the  channel,  was  defended  by 


OFQEOEGE    WASHINGTON.  205 

Colonel  Gadsden,  and  a  regiment  of  regulars.  Fort 
Moultrie,  on  Sullivan's  Island,  was  defended  by  three 
hundred  and  seventy-five  men,  beside  militia,  under 
Colonel  Moultrie.  It  contained  twenty-six  guns; 
was  called  after  the  name  of  its  gallant  commander; 
and,  together  with  James'  Fort,  commanded  the  en- 
trance to  the  harbor.  Haddrell's  Point,  northwest  of 
Sullivan's  Island,  had  also  mounted  cannon.  General 
Lee  found  the  town  defenceless.  The  British  troops 
were  landed  on  Long  Island,  and  Sir  Henry  Clinton 
attacked  Fort  Moultrie  with  all  his  forces,  in  the  be- 
lief that  its  capture  would  lead  to  that  of  Charleston. 
Works  were  thrown  up  by  the  Americans  on  the 
northeastern  part  of  Sullivan's  Island ;  and  Colonel 
Thompson,  with  the  regulars  and  militia,  was  sta- 
tioned there  to  defend  the  passage  over  the  Breach — 
a  creek  that  separates  Long  Island  from  Sullivan's 
Island.  Lee  encamped  on  Haddrell's  Point.  The 
fleet  advan6ed  under  Sir  Peter  Parker  on  the  28th  of 
June,  1776,  and  threw  shells  into  the  fort.  The  ships 
anchored  opposite  the  batteries  at  eleven  o'clock. 
General  Lee  was  very  apprehensive  of  the  result, 
from  the  little  confidence  which  he  reposed  in  the 
troops;  but  on  sending  to  ascertain  the  spirit  of  the 
garrison,  he  found  that  they  intended  to  fight  with 
unflinching  resolution.  Having  passed  over  in  the 
boat  to  encourage  them,  he  found  that  after  twelve 
hours  of  incessant  firing,  the  defence  was  so  gallant 
that  he  had  never  witnessed  a  better  display  of  forti- 
tude. The  fortifications  were  partly  constructed  of 
palmetto  wood,  which  is  yielding  in  its  nature,  does 
not  splinter,  but  closes  on  the  ball.  In  the  hottest 
18 


206  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

moment  of  the  attack,  the  powder  failed  the  Ameri- 
cans; but  more  being  supplied,  they  kept  up  a  spirited 
firing,  during  which  the  ship  Actason  ran  aground, 
and  the  others,  that  had  borne  the  brunt  of  the  con- 
flict, were  much  injured.  One  hundred  and  seventy- 
five  men  were  killed,  and  as  many  were  wounded. 
Captain  Morris,  of  the  Actaeon,  and  Lord  Campbell, 
a  volunteer,  and  late  governor  of  the  province,  were 
among  the  slain.  Colonel  Thompson,  with  his  men 
and  cannon,  prevented  Sir  Henry  Clinton  from  cross- 
ing to  attack  the  fort,  and  the  combat  terminated 
before  ten  o'clock.  Sir  Peter  Parker  had  been  injured 
by  a  contusion,  and  at  length  drew  off  his  ships  to 
Five  Fathom  Hole.  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  who  again 
attempted  to  cross  to  Sullivan's  Island,  was  beaten 
back.  Sir  Peter  Parker  at  lengtb  became  convinced 
that,  in  the  present  condition  of  his  ships,  he  could 
accomplish  nothing.  He  therefore  gave  orders  to 
abandon  the  Actaeon,  after  having  set  her  on  fire. 
After  this  command  was  obeyed,  and  her  crew  had 
left  her,  the  Americans  pulled  her  colors  down,  and 
kept  them  as  a  trophy;  fired  off  her  guns  at  the  ships 
of  the  enemy,  and  carried  off  three  boat-loads  of  her 
stores.  The  attempt  of  the  British  on  Charleston 
became  abortive,  and  was  thus  abandoned,  and  the 
fleet  put  out  again  to  sea.  The  American  loss  on  this 
occasion  was  thirty-five  men  killed  and  wounded ; 
and  for  his  gallantry  in  this,  which  was  one  of  the 
severest  actions  of  the  whole  war,  Colonel  Moultrie 
deserved  and  received  much  applause. 

This  repulse  of  the  enemy  caused  great  satisfaction 
to  Washington;  and  in  a  letter  written  to  Schuyler 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  207 

at  this  date,  he  remarked  that  "  Sir  Peter  Parker  and 
his  fleet  got  a  severe  drubbing."  .  On  July  21st, 
1776,  in  an  address  made  to  the  continental  arm}', 
the  commander-in-chief  expressed  a  hope,  that  the 
heroic  example  thus  set  them  might  stimulate  the 
troops  to  outdo  the  brave  efforts  of  the  noble  defenders 
of  their  country's  liberties,  whenever  the  enemy 
should  make  a  similar  attack  upon  them.  Said  he : 
"This  generous  example  of  our  troops  under  the  like 
circumstances  with  us,  the  general  hopes,  will  animate 
every  officer  and  soldier  to  imitate,  and  even  outdo 
them,  when  the  enemy  shall  make  the  same  attempt 
on  us.  With  such  a  bright  example  before  us,  of  what 
can  be  done  by  brave  men  fighting  in  defence  of  their 
country,  we  shall  be  loaded  with  a  double  share  of 
shame  and  infamy,  if  we  do  not  acquit  ourselves  with 
courage ;  and  manifest  a  determined  resolution  to 
conquer  or  die." 


208  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

ADVICE  OP  COLONEL  REED  —  ARRIVAL  OF  FOREIGN  TROOPS  TO  AID  THIS 
BRITISH  —  SECTIONAL  DIFFERENCES  OF  THE  AMERICANS,  AND  HOW 
WASHINGTON  TREATED  THEM — ILLNESS  OF  GENERAL  GREENE — PRE- 
PARATIONS FOR  ACTION  ON  BOTH  SIDES — THE  UNGUARDED  PASS  — 
THE  MIDNIGHT  MARCH — -THE  BATTJ.E  OF  LONG  ISLAND  —  DEFEAT  OP 

THE    AMERICANS WASHINGTON'S    DISTRESS  —  THE    RETREAT    FROM 

LONG  ISLAND  —  LORD  HOWE  AND  THE  AMERICAN  COMMISSIONERS 

A  cTievaux-de-frise  was  erected  by  General  Putnam 
to  prevent  the  enemy's  ships  from  passing  the  fort; 
for  some  of  them  had  already  sailed  up  the  Hudson, 
notwithstanding  the  batteries  of  Fort  "Washington. 
A  number  of  galleys  and  fire-ships  also  were  pre- 
pared; but  thej7  were  too  late  to  be  of  service.  In  a 
few  days  a  very  large  fleet  of  ships  arrived,  bringing 
British  troops,  and  with  them  were  one  thousand 
Hessians.  Their  disembarkation  was  effected  on 
Staten  Island,  and  the  highest  hills  were  fortified,  so 
that  the  projected  attempts  at  an  attack  were  now 
useless.  It  was  the  advice  of  Colonel  Reed,  that  after 
the  interruption  of  communication  by  the  Hudson 
had  taken  place,  there  was  nothing  to  retain  the 
American  troops  at  !N"ew  York,  which  should  there- 
fore be  evacuated,  burned,  and  a  retreat  be  made  to 
Manhattan  Island ;  that  a  general  action  should  be 
avoided,  and  the  policy  be  adopted,  of  making  the  con- 
flict one  of  outposts.  At  the  end  of  July,  or  early  in 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  209 

August,  1776,  other  ships  of  war  arrived,  and  dis- 
embarked a  body  of  Scotch  Highlanders,  Hessians, 
and  other  forces  on  Staten  Island.  About  the  same 
time  the  troops  of  Clinton  arrived  from  the  south, 
and  were  accompanied  by  Lord  Cornwallis  and  his 
army.  The  enemy's  f  )rce  about  New  York  now  in- 
cluded thirty  thousand  effective  men.  The  American 
army  destined  to  oppose  them  numbered  about  seven- 
teen thousand;  of  whom  one-fourth  were  on  the  sick 
list,  and  while  many  were  absent  on  furloughs,  the 
rest  were  distributed  at  stations  fifteen  miles  distant 
from  each  other.  Their  sectional  jealousies  also  gave 
much  uneasiness  to  Washington.  The  army  being 
collected  from  different  parts  of  the  country,  and  filled 
with  partialities  of  a  local  nature,  disrespectful  lan- 
guage was  often  used  by  the  officers  toward  each 
other.  Discord  arose  on  this  account ;  and  the  sol- 
diers imitated  in  this  respect  the  conduct  of  their  su- 
periors. Washington  at  this  crisis  made  a  patriotic 
appeal  to  the  army  in  these  words:  "The  general 
most  earnestly  entreats  the  officers  and  soldiers  to 
consider  the  consequences ;  that  they  can  in  no  way 
assist  our  enemies  more  effectually,  than  by  making 
divisions  among  ourselves;  that  the  honor  and  suc- 
cess of  the  army  and  the  safety  of  our  bleeding  coun- 
try, depend  upon  harmony  and  good  agreement  with 
each  other ;  that  the  provinces  are  all  united  to  oppose 
the  common  enemy,  and  all  distinctions  sunk  in  the 
name  of  an  American.  To  make  this  name  honor- 
able, and  to  preserve  the  liberty  of  our  country,  ought 
to  be  our  only  emulation  ;  and  he  will  be  the  best  sol- 
dier, and  the  best  patriot,  who  contributes  most  to 
18*  o 


210  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

this  glorious  work,  whatever  his  station,  or  from  what- 
ever  part  of  the  continent  he  may  come.  Let  all  dis- 
tinctions of  nations,  countries,  and  provinces,  there 
fore,  be  lost  in  the  generous  contest,  who  shall  "behave 
with  the  most  courage  against  the  enemy,  and  the 
most  kindness  and  good-humor  to  each  other.  If 
there  be  any  officers  or  soldiers  so  lost  to  virtue  and 
a  love  of  their  country  as  to  continue  such  practices 
after  this  order,  the  general  assures  them,  and  is  au- 
thorized by  Congress  to  declare  to  the  whole  army, 
that  such  persons  shall  be  severely  punished,  and  dis- 
missed from  the  service  with  disgrace." 

This  earnest  appeal  was  not  without  its  effect;  but 
the  troops  from  each  State  were  kept  together  as 
much  as  possible,  and  were  commanded  by  officers 
from  their  own  State.  The  enemy's  attack  was  con- 
stantly expected,  and  every  point  required  to  be 
guarded  with  vigilance,  as  New  York  was  accessible 
to  small  boats,  which  might  be  detached  in  a  variety 
of  places.  Mrs.  "Washington  had  repaired  to  Phila- 
delphia, and  the  other  wives  of  officers  who  had  been 
in  New  York,  left  that  city  when  danger  approached. 
Important  State  papers  were  placed  in  a  large  case, 
to  be  sent  to  Congress;  and  all  persons  who  were 
objects  of  suspicion,  were  removed.  Indications  be- 
came very  clear  that  affairs  now  approached  a  crisis ; 
and  as  the  inhabitants  became  greatly  alarmed  on 
the  approach  of  the  ships-of-war,  it  was  proclaimed 
by  the  general's  orders,  that  as  many  as  possible 
should  remove  from  the  city,  which  was  soon  ex- 
pected to  be  the  scene  of  a  deadly  combat.  Signs 
of  a  meditated  attack  now  began  to  appear}  and  aa 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  211 

its  precise  point  was  doubtful,  Washington  retained 
most  of  his  troops  in  the  city  for  its  defence.  It  was 
rumored  that  the  enemy  would  in  all  probability  at- 
tempt to  get  possession  of  the  heights  of  Brooklyn, 
which  overlook  New  York ;  but  General  Heath  was 
of  opinion,  that  Lord  Howe  would  prefer  to  make  an 
attack  on  Kingsbridge,  in  preference  to  an  assault  on 
the  strong  works  erected  in  the  city ;  in  which  case 
the  inexperienced  recruits  composing  the  continental 
troops  would  be  compelled  to  contend  with  a  well- 
disciplined  army  which  had  the  facilities  for  action 
both  by  land  and  water. 

General  Greene  had  command  of  a  considerable 
force  in  Brooklyn.  He  was  perfectly  familiar  with 
every  part  of  the  island,  and  he  fortified  and  disposed 
of  his  troops  in  the  most  advantageous  manner.  The 
rapid  tides  of  the  Sound,  or  East  River  as  it  is  there 
called,  separates  New  York  from  Brooklyn,  at  a  dis- 
tance of  three-fourths  of  a  mile.  The  deep  inlets  of 
"Wallabout  Bay  and  Gowanus  Cove  form  the  penin- 
sula on  which  Brooklyn  is  situated,  and  strong  re- 
doubts and  intrenchments  ran  along  from  the  bay  to 
near  the  cove;  while  a  battery  at  Red  Hook,  and  a 
fort  on  Governor's  Island,  almost  opposite  to  it,  de- 
fended the  rear  portion  of  the  works  from  the  ships 
of  the  enemy.  Two  miles  in  front  of  the  defences,  a 
barrier  of  a  range  of  hills  ran  across  the  island,  from 
southwest  to  northeast.  Three  roads  traversed  the 
island  —  one  passing  easterly  to  Bedford,  and  then 
through  the  Bedford  hills  to  the  village  of  Jamaica ; 
another  went  to  Flatbush ;  and  the  third,  by  Gowa« 
nus  Cove  to  the  Narrows. 


212  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

A  knowledge  of  these  roads  was  important;  and  it 
so  happened  that  General  Greene,  who  was  particu- 
larly well  acquainted  with  them,  was  confined  to  bed 
by  a  fever,  and  the  command  was  held  by  General 
Sullivan,  who  had  returned  from  Lake  Champlain. 
It  was  ascertained,  on  the  21st,  that  twenty  thousand 
men  had  embarked,  to  attack  Long  Island  and  other 
places  along  the  Hudson;  that  fifteen  thousand  men 
who  were  to  assault  Elizabethtown,  Bergen  Point, 
and  Amboy,  remained  on  Staten  Island ;  and  that 
the  British  commander  had  ordered  no  quarter  to  be 
given. 

On  the  22d  of  August  the  inhabitants  of  the  city 
were  alarmed  by  the  report  of  cannon,  and  it  was  re- 
ported that  several  thousand  troops  had  landed  at 
Gravesend,  with  artillery  and  cavalry.  This  informa- 
tion gave  Washington  reason  to  think  that  the  force 
was  intended  to  surprise  the  lines,  and  he  sent  over  six 
battalions,  and  five  others  were  held  in  readiness,  if 
they  should  be  required.  Washington  exhorted  them 
to  "  be  cool  but  determined ;  to  reserve  their  fire ; 
and  in  case  any  one  attempted  to  skulk,  or  lie  down, 
or  retreat,  without  orders,  he  was  instantly  to  be  shot 
down  as  an  example."  The  possession  of  the  heights 
of  Brooklyn  would  give  the  enemy  command  of  New 
York ;  and  many  of  the  inhabitants  were  distracted 
with  fear.  A  report  became  current  that  the  inten- 
tion of  Washington  was  to  burn  the  city,  should  the 
American  army  retreat  from  it;  but  the  general  as- 
sured the  New  York  Convention  that  there  was  no 
foundation  for  the  report ;  that  he  appreciated  the 
value  of  such  a  city ;  and  that  nothing  but  the  last 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  213 

necessity,  and  the  most  cogent  reasons,  could  induce 
him  to  issue  such  an  order. 

Nine  thousand  British,  with  forty  cannon,  nowlanded 
under  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  who  was  first  in  command, 
Earls  Cornwallis  and  Percy,  General  Grant,  General 
Sir  William  Erskine.  Colonel  Hand,  on  their  ap- 
proach, fell  back  on  a  wooded  hill  commanding  the 
Flatbush  road;  and  while  the  army  was  divided 
through  Utrecht  and  Flatland,  Lord  Cornwallis,  being 
detached  with  two  battalions  of  light-infantry,  a  corps 
of  Hessians,  and  six  field-pieces,  advanced  to  seize 
the  hills.  Being  opposed  by  Hand  and  his  riflemen, 
he  took  up  his  position  at  Flatbush.  General  "Wash- 
ington, in  crossing  over  on  the  24th  to  Brooklyn, 
observed  the  lines,  scrutinized  the  locality,  and  felt 
the  want  of  General  Greene.  While  the  forces  of 
the  enemy  extended  beyond  the  hilly  chains,  the  ad- 
vance of  the  Americans  lay  along  the  wooded  hills, 
under  Colonel  Hand.  A  road  from  Flatbush  to  Bed- 
ford, by  which  the  left  of  the  Brooklyn  works  would 
be  accessible  to  the  enemy,  was  guarded  on  the  north 
side  by  a  regiment  under  Colonel  Williams,  and  on 
the  south  side  by  Colonel  Miles,  with  anothar  regi- 
ment of  Pennsylvania  riflemen. 

Firing  had  already  taken  place  between  the  out- 
posts, and  Washington  saw  with  concern  tLw  want  of 
system  that  prevailed  among  the  officers,  and  the 
independent  action  of  each  corps,  which  fired  upon 
the  enemy  in  an  irregular  manner,  and  advanced  in 
groups  or  singly,  as  impulse  dictated.  Putnam  was 
therefore  put  in  command  of  Long  Island,  with  ordera 
to  restrain  the  irregularities  of  :he  troops;  to  form 


214  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

intrenchments  and  defences  in  places  best  suited  for 
them  ;  and  to  station  guards  on  the  lines,  to  be  under 
the  inspection  of  a  brigadier.  The  strictest  orders 
were  given  ;  the  field-officers  were  required  to  go  the 
rounds,  and  observe  the  situation  of  the  guards,  while 
no  one  could  pass  the  lines  without  written  permis- 
sion. The  interior  works  were  to  be  manned  by 
militia,  the  most  reliable  troops  were  to  defend  the 
passes,  and  prevent  the  approach  of  the  enemy. 

The  watchful  eyes  of  Washington  observed  the 
augmentation  of  the  enemy's  forces  on  the  25th;  and 
he  sent  as  reinforcements,  in  addition  to  those  already 
in  position,  the  well-disciplined  Delaware  regiment, 
under  Colonel  Hazlett.  These  were  joined  by  the 
Southern  troops  which  formed  Lord  Stirling's  brigade. 
These  reinforcements  were  among  the  best  troops  in 
the  American  army.  Washington,  on  crossing  over 
on  the  25th,  observed  a  general  movement  on  the 
part  of  the  enemy's  forces ;  for  General  de  Heister 
occupied  Flatbush  with  his  Hessians,  and  commanded 
the  centre;  while  diagonally,  to  his  right,  Sir  Henry 
Clinton  led  the  right  wing  to  the  Flatlands,  and  Gene- 
ral Grant  extended  the  left  to  Gravesend  Bay.  After 
aiding  Putnam  with  his  counsels  during  the  day,  the 
General  returned  to  New  York,  and  passed  an  anxious 
night,  in  expectation  of  a  general  attack  on  the  mor- 
row. On  the  evening  of  the  26th,  about  nine  o'clock, 
Sir  Henry  Clinton  began  to  march  with  the  vanguard 
of  light-horse.  The  centre  was  formed  by  Lord 
Percy  with  grenadiers,  light  dragoons,  and  artillery ; 
while  Lord  Cornwallis  with  the  heavy  ordnance 
formed  the  rear.  General  Howe  attended  the  last 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  215 

division,  and  a  silent  march  brought  the  troops  to 
the  Jamaica  road.  They  then  halted,  to  prepare  for 
an  attack  on  the  pass  through  the  Bedford  hills,  and 
learned  with  wonder  that  it  had  been  left  unguarded, 
as  indeed  was  the  road  between  Bedford  and  Ja- 
maica, to  a  great  extent.  Orders  had  been  issued  to 
patrol  the  road  occasionally,  but  the  pass  was  left  un- 
defended. "Whether  this  point  was  included  in  Gene- 
ral Greene's  plan  is  uncertain;  or  whether  it  was 
deemed  too  distant,  and  not  needing  attention,  it  is 
difficult  to  determine ;  but  the  neglect  was  an  unfor- 
tunate circumstance,  and  destined  to  produce  a  disas- 
trous result.  A  detachment  from  Sir  Henry  Clinton 
soon  secured  the  pass,  and  he  held  the  heights  at  the 
dawn  of  day.  He  pursued  his  unperceived  way  on 
till  near  to  Bedford,  and  refreshed  his  troops  before 
leading  them  to  the  encounter. 

In  the  silence  of  midnight  the  left  wing,  under 
General  Grant,  marched  from  Gravesend  Bay  along 
the  road  by  the  Narrows  and  Gowanus  Cove  to  the 
right  of  the  American  works.  His  force  consisted  of 
two  brigades,  a  regiment  of  regular  troops,  a  bat- 
talion of  New  York  royalists,  and  ten  cannon.  Lord 
Stirling  was  ordered  to  hold  the  advancing  enemy  in. 
check  with  Hazlett's  Delaware  regiment,  and  Small- 
wood's  Delaware  troops.  He  marched  in  haste  toward 
the  Narrows.  At  Gowanus  Cove  they  were  informed 
of  the  approach  of  the  enemy,  and  Atlee  was  sta- 
tioned in  ambush  with  the  militia  of  Pennsylvania 
and  New  York ;  while  Stirling  formed  his  troops  on 
a  ridge  leading  to  the  summit  of  a  wooded  hill. 
Lord  Stirling  was  reinforced  by  a  party  of  riflemen, 


216  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

whom  he  arranged  in  the  wood  near,  and  at  the  foot 
of,  the  hill  ;  while  General  Grant  posted  his  light 
troops  in  the  advance,  behind  the  hedges. 

The  British  and  American  riflemen  fired  during  the 
space  of  t\vo  hours ;  and  Stirling  obtained  an  acces- 
sion of  force  by  the  arrival  of  Captain  Gardiner  and 
two  pieces  of  artillery,  which  were  placed  to  command 
the  road.  A  cannonading  commenced  as  soon  as 
General  Grant  brought  his  artillery  within  three  hun- 
dred yards.  An  attack  had  been  commenced  by  De 
Heister,  by  the  discharge  of  artillery  from  Flatbush, 
the  redoubt  in  which  Hand  had  stationed  the  rifle- 
men ;  and  General  Sullivan  rode  forward  to  make 
'observations,  while  a  brisk  firing  took  place  between 
the  redoubt  and  De  Heister's  artillery.  The  left  of 
the  Americans  was  soon  turned  by  Sir  Henry  Clinton  ; 
and  Sullivan,  who  now  realized  the  fatal  truth  that 
he  was  in  danger  of  being  surrounded,  remained  no 
longer  to  defend  the  redoubt,  which.  Count  Donop, 
with  his  Hessians,  and  De  Heister,  with  his  entire 
division,  were  attacking.  Sullivan  could  not  retire 
to  the  lines ;  for  the  British  drove  the  troops  back, 
and  a  wholesale  slaughter  was  commenced  by  the 
Hessians,  against  whom  the  Americans  fought  with 
desperate  valor.  Some  of  them  cut  their  way  to  the 
lines;  others  retreated  to  the  woods;  many  were 
killed  or  captured,  and  General  Sullivan  was  taken 
prisoner. 

"Washington  had  now  crossed  over  to  Brooklyn, 
and  urged  his  horse  up  to  the  works  at  full  speed. 
He  had  seen  the  final  catastrophe  approach,  and  waa 
unable  to  prevent  it.  Lord  Stirling  and  his  corpa 


OF  GEORGE  WASHINGTON.  217 

were  the  chief  objects  of  his  anxiety.  He  saw  the 
danger  which  threatened  some  of  his  choicest  troops ; 
and  with  his  telescope  he  surveyed  the  hill  on  which 
he  beheld  the  reserves  of  Cornwallis.  Stirling  knew, 
from  the  cannonading  of  the  foe,  that  he  was  cut  off 
from  the  lines.  He  attempted  to  reach  them  by  a 
circuitous  road,  by  crossing  Yellow  Mills,  a  creek 
which  falls  into  Gowanus  Cove.  But  just  as  he  left 
some  of  his  troops  to  face  Colonel  Grant,  Cornwallis 
and  his  grenadiers  arrested  his  further  progress.  He 
was  under  the  eye  of  Washington,  who  apprehended 
that  he  and  his  iiiun  would  be  compelled  to  sur- 
render; but  with  the  half  of  Smallwood's  battalion 
he  attacked  Cornwallis,  while  the  rest  succeeded  in 
crossing  the  creek.  At  this  moment  Washington 
wrung  his  hands  in  agony,  exclaiming :  "  Good  God ! 
what  brave  troops  I  must  this  day  lose."  The  en- 
counter which  ensued  was  terrible.  But,  when  on 
the  point  of  repelling  Cornwallis,  he  received  rein- 
forcements ;  and  then  the  order  was  given  that  the 
remains  of  Lord  Stirling's  troops  should  force  their 
way  to  the  camp,  and  a  party  which  attempted  to 
intercept  them  received  so  hot  a  reception,  that  they 
were  compelled  to  retire.  A  long  and  desperate 
struggle  ensued;  but  at  length  Lord  Stirling  was 
overpowered,  arid  surrendered  to  De  Heister.  Two 
hundred  and  fifty  brave  men  of  Smallwood's  regi- 
ment, perished  in  this  deadly  encounter;  and  the 
entire  loss  of  the  Americans  in  the  battle  was  nearly 
two  thousand,  in  killed,  wounded,  and  captured. 
Within  a  short  distance  of  the  redoubts,  the  enemy's 
victorious  forces  were  concentrated.  It  was  supposed 
19 


218  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

that  the  works  would  be  stormed,  but  the  British 
general  avoided  the  further  effusion  of  blood;  and 
drawing  oft'  his  troops,  encamped  for  the  night.  Had 
the  works  been  stormed,  a  desperate  defence  by  the 
Americans  had  been  determined  upon. 

The  night  after  the  battle  was  one  of  sadness  and 
gloom  to  "Washington  and  his  army.  The  camp  of 
an  enemy,  of  great  force  and  numerical  strength, 
abounding  in  all  the  appliances  of  warfare,  was  seen 
at  no  great  distance ;  and  the  sentries  of  the  trium- 
phant foe  approached  the  lines  of  the  disheartened 
Americans.  Skirmishes  took  place  during  the  fol- 
lowing day;  but  the  main  body  remained  in  their 
tents  till  the  afternoon,  when  they  appeared  to  be 
throwing  up  works  at  five  hundred  yards'  distance. 
A  heavy  fog  which  prevailed  during  the  29th  covered 
their  movements,  and  when  it  was  at  length  removed 
by  the  breezes,  it  revealed  the  British  shipping  in  the 
Bay  of  New  York,  opposite  Staten  Island.  Great 
apprehension  was  then  entertained  in  reference  to  the 
future  operations  of  the  British;  and  Washington 
having  called  a  council  of  war,  it  was  resolved  to 
cross  the  East  River  during  the  same  night.  An  army 
of  nine  thousand  men,  with  warlike  stores,  were  to 
be  drawn ,  oft',  under  circumstances  requiring  the 
greatest  secrecy  and  address.  The  least  noise  might 
arouse  the  foe ;  and  it  was  impossible  to  compute  the 
dangers  which  would  attend  the  transfer  of  the  troops 
across  a  river  three-fourths  of  a  mile  wide,  whose 
tides  were  rapid  and  not  unlikely  to  prove  dangerous. 
All  the  craft  that  plied  between  Spyt  den  Duivel  and 
Hurl-gate,  were  ordered  by  Washington  to  be  im 


OF    GEOKGE    WASHINGTON.  219 

pressed,  and  to  be  ready  in  the  evening  at  the  east 
side  of  the  river.  Colonel  Hughes  received  the  order 
at  twelve  o'clock;  and  with  such  diligence  was  it 
executed,  that  the  vessels  were  all  collected  in  the 
evening  at  eight  o'clock,  at  Brooklyn.  To  conceal 
these  proceedings  from  the  enemy,  and  to  obtain  a 
simultaneous  movement,  a  night  attack  was  ordered; 
and  the  plan  adopted  was  to  post  Mifflin  and  the 
Pennsylvania  troops,  with  the  remains  of  other  gallant 
companies,  as  sentinels,  till  the  rest  of  the  troops 
could  be  embarked.  The  withdrawal  of  one  regiment 
after  another  took  place  late  in  the  evening.  Wash- 
ington stood  by,  watching  the  embarkation;  and  in 
his  haste  to  depart,  he  sent  an  aide-de-carnp,  Colonel 
Scammel,  to  deliver  a  message,  which  being  misun- 
derstood and  erroneously  given,  might  have  defeated 
the  movement.  He  told  him  to  hasten  the  troops  that 
were  on  their  march ;  but  the  Colonel,  instead  of  re- 
porting this  order,  directed  General  Mifflin  and  his 
party  of  defence  to  hurry  on,  thus  drawing  off  the 
very  sentinels  who  were  stationed  to  guard  the  em- 
barkation. Washington  was  surprised  when  he  saw 
Mifflin  approach,  and  after  an  explanation  he  returned 
to  his  post,  remaining  there  till  ordered  to  cross  the 
ferry. 

While  the  fog  still  hung  over  Long  Island,  by 
which  the  operations  of  the  troops  were  involved  in 
doubt  and  secrecy,  the  air  was  clear  on  the  New  York 
side,  and  everything  favored  the  embarkation.  The 
artillery,  ammunition,  and  everything  of  importance 
were  conveyed  in  safety  to  the  other  side ;  and  Wash- 
iu^on  was  the  last,  or  among  the  last,  to  cross  the 


220  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

river.  The  British  were  astonished  at  the  celerity  of 
the  movement ;  and  while  the  mist  was  clearing  away 
the  last  boat  had  left  the  ferry.  The  plan,  execution, 
and  success  of  this  retreat  have  been  justly  considered 
one  of  the  most  remarkable  master-pieces  in  military 
history;  and  as  covering  "Washington  with  renown 
for  prudence,  capacity,  and  skill.  He  experienced 
so  much  anxiety  in  accomplishing  this  design,  that 
for  forty-eight  hours  he  did  not  sleep  a  moment,  and 
was  during  most  of  the  time  in  the  saddle. 

Long  Island  was  now  in  possession  of  the  British, 
and  the  continental  troops  were  greatly  discouraged. 
The  situation  of  the  Americans  was  indeed  distress- 
ing. Both  in  numbers  and  in  efficiency  their  troops 
were  found  to  be  deficient;  and  in  a  letter  addressed 
to  the  President  of  Congress,  "Washington  was  com- 
pelled to  admit  his  want  of  confidence  in  the  fortitude 
of  the  majority  of  his  soldiers.  Lord  Howe  did  not 
at  that  time  press  hostilities.  He  was  sincerely  de- 
sirous of  peace,  and  sent  General  Sullivan  to  Con- 
gress with  overtures ;  and  although  he  was  unable  to 
treat  with  them  as  with  a  legally  organized  body,  he 
was  desirous  of  making  some  arrangement  with  the 
principal  members  of  it.  Congress  agreed  to  send 
a  committee  to  ascertain  what  authority  he  had  to 
treat  for  peace  with  duly  authorized  persons,  and 
to  learn  what  were  the  proposals  which  he  had  to 
make.  Accordingly,  on  the  6th  of  September,  1776, 
John  Adams,  Edward  Rutledge,  and  Benjamin  Frank- 
lin were  appointed  as  a  committee  to  wait  on  his 
lordship;  but  nothing  of  importance  resulted  from 
the  interview  which  took  place  between  them. 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  221 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

NEED  OF  A  STANDING  ARMY NEW  YORK  EVACUATED  BY  THE  AME- 
RICANS —  THE  BRITISH  IN  NEW  YORK  —  SUCCESSFUL  SKIRMISH, 

ASO  ITS  EFFECTS  —  THE  ARMY  PUT  ON  A  NEW  FOOTING BATTLE 

OF  CHATTERTON'S  HILL  —  THE  BRITISH  TAKE  FORT  WASHINGTON 
—  INTELLIGENCE  FROM  THE  NORTH  —  FORT  LEE  ABANDONED  — 
WASHINGTON  AT  HACKENSACK  —  GENERAL  LEE's  TARDINESS — THE 
MOVEMENTS  OF  WASHINGTON  —  HE  REACHES  TRENTON  —  PROCLA- 
MATION OF  LORD  HOWE  AND  HIS  BROTHER — WASHINGTON  CROSSES 
THE  DELAWARE  —  PHILADELPHIA  IN  DANGER  —  WASHINGTON'S 
APPEAL  TO  LEE  —  THE  CAPTURE  OF  THAT  GENERAL WASHING- 
TON APPOINTED  MILITARY  DICTATOR. 

THE  gloom  and  depression  which  ensued  after  the 
retreat  from  Long  Island,  were  so  great  as  to  place  the 
American  army  in  a  very  unpleasant  predicament. 
The  militia,  instead  of  rallying  to  their  country's 
standard,  were  eager  as  soon  as  possible  to  abandon 
the  service,  and  return  to  their  homes.  Entire  rejri- 

7  O 

ments  began  to  desert  in  a  mass,  and  this  example 
produced  on  those  who .  remained,  and  who  were 
impatient  of  restraint,  such  a  pernicious  effect  as  to 
destroy  the  subordination  so  necessary  in  military 
affairs,  and  exhausted  the  patience  and  rendered 
nugatory  all  the  efforts  of  the  commander-in-chief. 
"Washington  therefore  deemed  a  standing  army  during 
the  war  necessary  to  the  defence  of  the  liberties  of  the 
nation ;  which  could  scarcely  be  defended  without 
19* 


222  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

one.  He  was  of  opinion  that  the  expenses  attendant 
on  such  a  regulation  would  be  diminished,  while  the 
prevalent  confusion  and  disorder  would  yield  to  a 
more  rigid  discipline.  "Washington  was  determined 
to  do  all  that  could  be  accomplished  to  serve  the  cause 
which  he  represented  ;  and  no  trials  or  disasters  could 
depress  his  mind  or  diminish  his  energy. 

When  the  British  general  had  gained  possession 
of  Long  Island,  his  plans  were  soon  developed ;  and 
it  was  evident  that  he  aimed  at  obtaining  the  control 
of  New  York.  The  taking  Of  it  by  storm  would  have 
the  effect  of  injuring  it,  and  it  would  therefore  be 
rendered  of  less  service  to  his  troops.  His  purpose, 
therefore,  was  to  avoid  a  bombardment,  but  to  com- 
pass the  town  on  the  land  side.  But  to  accomplish 
this  the  American  army  must  be  surrounded ;  and 
the  evacuation  of  New  York  became,  in  consequence, 
the  desire  of  its  commander.  The  stores  and  luggage 
were  partly  removed  beyond  Kingsbridge ;  and  in  a 
general  council  of  officers  it  was  unanimously  agreed 
that,  if  bombarded,  the  city  was  untenable;  and  as 
this  might  take  place  at  any  time,  some  advised  to 
destroy  the  city  to  keep  the  enemy  from  gaining  any 
advantage  by  it ;  while  others  thought  it  should  be 
held  till  the  army  was  driven  out.  Two-thirds  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  city  were  Tories.  It  was  at  length 
resolved  to  make  such  a  disposition  of  the  troops,  that 
any  attack  on  the  upper  part  of  the  island  could  be 
repelled,  and  in  the  meantime  the  rest  should  be  pre- 
pared to  retreat  when  the  occasion  required  it.  The 
sick,  in  number  about  one-fourth  of  the  army,  were 
to  be  sent  to  the  Jersey  side  of  the  Hudson;  and 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  223 

while  nine  thousand  men  were  to  take  their  station 
at  Mount  Washington,  Kingsbridge,  and  other  places, 
live  thousand  were  to  remain  in  the  city,  the  rest  to 
occupy  the  intervening  space,  and  render  assistance 
wherever  it  was  needed. 

These  arrangements  were  already  progressing  when 
Lord  Howe  met  the  committee  from  Congress  on 
Staten  Island ;  and  when  the  object  failed  which  he 
had  in  view,  four  ships  anchored  in  the  East  River, 
and  six  others  followed  on  the  next  day.  Three  men- 
of-war  proceeded  up  the  Hudson  to  Bloomingdale  on 
the  15th  of  September,  with  the  design  of  dividing 
the  attention  of  the  Americans;  while  a  powerful 
division  of  the  army,  comprising  British  and  Hes- 
sians, commanded  by  General  Clinton,  was  embarked 
on  Long  Island,  and  landed  in  the  East  River  at 
Rip's  Bay,  protected  by  the  fire  of  two  forty-gun  ships 
and  three  frigates.  The  Americans  were  driven  from 
the  batteries  erected  there,  by  the  firing  from  the 
ships.  Washington  was  then  at  Harlem,  but  has- 
tened to  the  landing-place  as  soon  as  he  heard  the 
report  of  the  guns ;  and  had  the  mortification  to  see 
troops  which  had  been  posted  on  the  lines,  flying  be- 
fore the  enemy,  without  firing  a  shot,  though  only 
about  seventy  of  the  enemy  had  appeared.  He  also 
saw  two  brigades  which  had  been  sent  to  their  aid  re- 
treating in  all  directions,  in  spite  of  the  utmost  efforts 
of  their  officers  to  rally  them.  Washington  galloped 
up  to  the  fugitives,  and  riding  among  them  endea- 
vored to  stop  the  retreat,  but  without  effect.  The 
oieii  still  fled  in  terror;  and  so  intensely  was  he  ex- 
cited by  such  dastardly  conduct,  that  he  was  unable 


224  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

to  repress  his  rage,  and  dashing  his  hat  on  the  ground, 
exclaimed :  "  Are  these  the  soldiers  with  whom  I  am 
to  defend  America?"  In  his  fury  and  despair  he 
snapped  his  pistols  at  some,  and  drew  his  sword  at 
others ;  but  an  aide-de-camp  at  length  persuaded  him 
to  retire,  as  the  enemy  were  but  eighty  yards  distant. 
The  self-possession  and  control  for  which  Wash- 
ington was  so  remarkable,  soon  returned ;  and  as  the 
enemy  might  seize  the  heights  of  Harlem,  which  was 
the  central  position  of  the  island,  he  sent  off  orders 
for  securing  that  position  at  once,  and  ordered  Putnam 
to  repair  thither  from  the  city. '  In  his  retreat  from 
New  York  Putnam  suffered  the  loss  of  fifteen  men 
killed,  and  three  hundred  taken  prisoners;  while  al- 
most all  the  cannon,  stores,  baggage,  and  provisions, 
were  left  behind.  The  retreating  division  might 
have  been  cut  off  in  the  rear  at  Rip's  Bay,  had  pur- 
suit been  made  in  that  direction  ;  but  the  Americans 
were  not  followed  vigorously  in  their  retreat.  Gene- 
ral Washington  drew  all  the  colonial  forces  within 
line  on  Harlem  Heights,  and  encamped  there  all 
night.  Morris  House,  situated  about  a  mile  and  a 
half  from  Mount  Washington,  became  the  head- 
quarters. The  British  general  having,  in  the  mean- 
time, taken  possession  of  New  York,  encamped 
within  a  short  distance  of  the  American  lines,  his 
right  wing  resting  on  the  East  River,  and  his  left  on 
the  Hudson.  In  the  course  of  his  inspection  of  cer- 
tain works  of  fortification  and  intrenchments  at  this 
time,  Washington  was  on  one  occasion  surprised  at 
the  skill  and  ability  displayed  in  those  which  had 
been  erected  under  the  direction  of  a  young  officer. 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  225 

This  person  proved  to  be  Alexander  Hamilton ;  and 
after  having  had  some  conversation  with  him,  the 
general  invited  him  to  his  marquee.  This  interview 
was  the  beginning  of  their  long  and  celebrated  inti- 
macy. Lieutenant-Colonel  Hamilton,  on  the  16th, 
when  defending  an  advanced  post,  was  attacked  by 
a  large  force  of  the  enemy.  He  had  advanced  boldly 
toward  the  lines  of  the  British,  and  General  Howe 
sent  two  battalions  and  a  regiment  of  Highlanders 
to  check  him ;  and  a  battalion  of  Hessians,  a  com- 
pany of  chasseurs,  and  two  field-pieces  were  likewise 
despatched  afterward.  When  they  appeared,  Wash- 
ington rode  out  to  direct  the  engagement,  and  had 
not  proceeded  far  before  he  heard  the  firing  between 
the  British  and  Knowlton.  The  rangers  brought 
back  a  report  that  the  enemy's  force  was  about  three 
hundred  men.  Three  companies  of  Weeder's  Vir- 
ginia regiment  were  immediately  sent  to  reinforce 
Knowlton,  under  the  command  of  Major  Leitch;  who 
was  ordered  to  gain  their  rear,  while  a  feint  was  made 
to  attack  them  in  front.  The  party  advanced,  and 
the  enemy  rushed  forward  to  fire  from  among  some 
bushes.  Knowlton  attacked  the  other  side,  and  ad- 
vancing with  great  spirit  a  brisk  engagement  ensued, 
in  which  Major  Leitch,  who  had  been  the  leader  in 
the  attack,  was  mortally  wounded  by  the  passage  of 
three  balls  through  his  body.  Colonel  Knowlton  also 
BOOU  fell,  and  the  other  officers  and  men  maintained 
the  conflict  with  great  bravery  till  aided  by  reinforce- 
ments; after  which  the  enemy  was  charged  with  such 
vigor,  that  they  were  driven  into  the  plain.  On  this 
occasion  General  Washington  experienced  some  dif- 

p 


226  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

ficulty  in  restraining  the  troops;  which  he  did  m 
order  to  avoid  a  general  engagement,  and  also  because 
a  large  reinforcement  was  then  on  the  way  from  the 
camp  of  the  enemy.  In  this  action  the  British  had 
fourteen  men  killed,  and  eight  officers  and  seventy 
men  wounded.  The  death  of  Colonel  Knowlton  was 
much  lamented.  He  did  not  long  survive  the  engage- 
ment, and  his  only  inquiry  amid  his  last  agony  was, 
whether  he  had  driven  in  the  enemy,  and  whether  the 
honor  of  Connecticut  had  been  maintained.  He  had 
the  satisfaction  of  learning  that  his  men  had  the  ad- 
vantage in  the  conflict.  Major  Leitch  expired  on  the 
1st  of  October ;  and  his  name  was  honored  by  being 
given  as  the  watch-word  the  day  after  the  battle. 

The  events  of  this  day  produced  an  encouraging 
effect  on  the  American  army.  They  had  been  dis- 
pirited with  the  discomfitures  and  disasters  which  had 
taken  place  since  the  enemy  landed  on  Long  Island ; 
but  now  the  tide  of  triumph  was  reversed.  They 
gained  confidence  in  themselves  and  in  their  officers; 
and  it  was  evident  that  the  heroic  courage,  so  nobly 
displayed  in  the  affair  at  Lexington,  and  the  battle  of 
Bunker  Hill,  yet  remained  in  the  hearts  of  the  patriots. 
More  than  three  weeks  elapsed,  and  the  British  army 
still  remained  inactive;  and  the  lines  on  Harlem 
Heights  bade  defiance  to  their  assaults.  During  this 
interval  Washington  made  vigorous  preparations  fo. 
defence,  and  his  lines  extended  from  Harlem  to  the 
Hudson ;  the  Jersey  side  being  commanded  by  Gene- 
ral Greene,  whose  head-quarters  were  at  Fort  Lee; 
while  Fort  Independence,  at  Kingsbridge,  was  the  post 
of  General  Heath.  The  king  conferred  the  honor  of 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  227 

knighthood  on  General  Howe  after  the  news  of  the, 
battle  of  Long  Island  reached  England,  But  'hia 
hopes  of  bringing  the  war  to  a  speedy  termination 
were  not  sanguine.  He  proposed  an  augmentation  of 
the  British  forces  by  eight  or  ten  line-of-battle-ships, 
and  supernumerary  seamen,  as  also  by  troops  from 
Europe.  Notwithstanding  the  remonstrances  which 
were  often  made  by  the  British  generals,  the  actual 
number  of  European  troops  under  arms  fell  far  short 
of  what  was  promised.  This  fact  became  a  fruitful 
source  of  disappointment  to  British  officers  of  every 
rank,  and  was  the  reason  why  Generals  Howe  and 
Clinton  resigned  their  posts,  long  before  their  resig- 
nations were  accepted  by  their  superiors  at  home. 
«  A  fire  was  seen  on  the  20th  of  September,  which 
seemed  to  proceed  from  the  city  of  New  York,  and  cast 
a  lurid  glare  against  the  sky  during  the  night.  Gene- 
ral Howe's  aides-de-camp  having  arrived  the  next 
morning  at  the  American  camp  to  confer  in  reference 
to  an  exchange  of  prisoners,  gave  information  that  a 
great  part  of  New  York  had  been  consumed,  and  that 
much  more  of  it  would  have  been  burned,  had  not  the 
British  officers  and  men  exerted  themselves  to  pre- 
vent it.  The  conflagration  was  attributed  to  an  Ame- 
rican, but  on  no  satisfactory  grounds.  "While  the 
enemy  were  bringing  troops  and  heavy  cannon  and 
ships  against  the  American  forces,  the  time  for  which 
most  of  the  troops  had  enlisted  was  about  expiring; 
and  their  re-enlistment  had  not  met  with  encourage- 

O 

merit  from  Congress.  A  new  dissolution  of  the  army 
was  expected,  and  the  cause  of  liberty  incurred  great 
peril  of  ruin,  unless  Congress  soon  adopted  prompt 


228  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

and  efficient  measures  to  avert  so  great  a  calamity. 
On  the  24th  of  September,  1776,  Washington  ad- 
dressed a  letter  to  the  President  of  Congress,  por- 
traying the  cares  and  anxieties  which  harassed  him ;  the 
inefficient  state  of  the  military  system  which  existed; 
and,  after  complaining  of  the  insubordination,  con- 
fusion, and  discontent  which  it  generated  in  the  men, 
proceeded  to  state  the  only  effectual  means  by  which 
all  these  disadvantages  could  be  remedied.  To  this 
letter  is  unquestionably  due  the  great  improvements 
in  the  army  which  were  made,  and  the  fortunate  as- 
pect which  affairs  soon  after  assumed  in  the  Ameri- 
can camp.  The  whole  army  was  reorganized ;  and, 
being  put  on  a  permanent  footing,  it  was  decreed  that 
eighty-eight  battalions  should  be  furnished  according 
to  the  respective  ability  of  the  several  States.  The 
men  were  to  be  enlisted  during  the  war;  and  while 
the  pay  of  the  officers  was  increased,  the  men  were 
to  obtain  a  bounty  of  twenty  dollars,  a  suit  of  clothes 
yearly  during  service,  and  one  hundred  acres  of  land. 
No  bounty  in  land  was  to  be  received  by  those  who 
served  only  three  years.  Officers  obtained  bounty  at 
a  higher  rate.  Arrangements  were  to  be  made  with 
the  commander-in-chief  by  the  commissioners  from 
the  different  States,  in  reference  to  the  proportions  of 
the  States;  and  all  vacancies  were  to  be  filled  by  the 
general,  in  case  the  States  were  slow  in  making  their 
own  appointments. 

The  President  of  Congress  at  this  crisis  addressed 
a  circular  letter  to  all  the  colonies,  urging  the  imme- 
diate completion  of  their  quotas;  and  though  the 
reorganization  had  removed  a  heavy  burden  from 


OF    GEOKGE    WASHINGTON.  229 

the  mind  of  Washington,  yet  the  evils  that  crept  into 
the  service  were  often  a  great  source  of  vexation  to 
him.  Thus,  for  example,  in  order  to  collect  troops 
quickly,  some  of  the  States  offered  larger  bounties 
than  Congress  had  proposed;  and  many  State  govern- 
ments raised  it  yet  higher,  and  in  varying  amounts; 
extraordinary  rewards  were  promised  the  militia  for 
service  in  emergencies;  the  States  were  lavish  in  incur- 
ring heavy  debts,  for  which  the  Continental  Congress 
was  responsible ;  and  no  power  but  that  of  Congress 
could  control  these  evils.  In  addition  to  the  duties 
of  the  chief  command,  Washington  was  compelled  to 
organize  a  new  army ;  to  meet  the  commissioners  of 
different  States ;  to  confer  with  them  in  reference  to 
the  appointment  of  officers,  when  the  campaign  waa 
already  in  progress,  the  enemy  superior  in  force  and 
discipline,  with  all  the  anxieties  and  vicissitudes  of 
the  war  pressing  on  him ;  and  yet  the  mind  and 
energy  of  this  extraordinary  man  were  equal  to  all 
these  exigencies. 

The  plans  of  Sir  William  Howe  being  now  ma- 
tured, by  which  he  hoped  either  to  cut  off  the  Ame- 
ricans from  communication  with  the  country,  or  bring 
on  a  general  engagement,  two  ships,  a  frigate,  and 
tenders,  were  sent  up  the  Hudson,  passed  the  batteries 
without  injury,  secured  a  free  passage  to  the  high- 
lands, and  prevented  supplies  from  being  sent  to  the 
Americans  by  water.  On  the  12th  of  October,  he 
embarked  his  troops  on  board  the  boats,  sloops,  and 
other  craft,  passed  through  Hurl-gate  into  the  Sound, 
and  landed  at  Throg's  Point.  Five  thousand  men, 
British  and  Hessians,  were  left  to  cover  New  York, 
20 


230  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

under  Lord  Percy,  at  Harlem.  General  Howe  landed 
at  Pell's  Point;  and  having  advanced  to  the  high 
grounds  between  New  Eochelle  and  East  Chester,  the 
second  division  of  Hessians  and  a  regiment  of  Wai- 
deckers  recently  arrived,  joined  him  under  General 
Knyphausen.  The  American  commander  was  on  the 
alert,  and  marshalled  his  army  to  meet  the  foe  in  four 
divisions,  under  Generals  Lee,  Heath,  Sullivan,  and 
Lincoln.  Lee  was  stationed  on  Valentine's  Hill,  op- 
posite Kingsbridge ;  and  the  other  divisions  formed 
a  chain  of  posts  along  the  hills  west  of  the  Broux, 
from  Lee's  camp  to  White  Plains.  Washington  was 
almost  continually  on  horseback,  in  a  broken,  woody 
country  forming  posts  and  breastworks,  and  took 
his  position  so  as  to  protect  his  army  by  means  of 
the  river  Broux.  They  outflanked  the  enemy's  lines, 
and  covered  the  roads  over  which  baggage  had  to  be 
transported.  Washington  fixed  his  head-quarters  at 
Valentine's  Hill  on  the  21st,  and  removed  to  White 
Plains  on  the  23d,  where  he  erected  a  fortified  camp. 
It  was  placed  on  high  ground,  and  two  lines  of  almost 
parallel  intrenchments  defended  it.  The  right  wing 
rested  on  the  Broux,  the  left  on  a  small  lake,  by  which 
it  was  well  protected.  If  pushed  by  the  enemy, 
Washington  resolved  to  risk  a  general  engagement  at 
this  place.  Skirmishing  had  previously  occurred; 
and  on  the  28th  of  October,  1776,  the  British  army 
appeared  on  the  hills  only  two  miles  distant  from  the 
American  camp.  About  half  a  mile  from  the  Ame- 
rican right  flank  stood  a  commanding  height,  called 
Chatterton's  Hill,  on  which  Washington  had  stationed 
a  militia  regiment.  He  now  detached  Colonel  Hazlett, 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  231 

with  his  Delaware  regiment  to  their  aid ;  and  soon 
after  added  the  brigade  of  General  McDougall,  con- 
sisting of  Smallwood's  Maryland  troops,  the  New 
York  troops,  and  two  other  regiments.  These  corps 
were  so  reduced  by  sickness  as  to  amount  only  to 
sixteen  hundred  men.  The  enemy  advanced  in  two 
columns ;  Sir  Henry  Clinton  commanded  the  right, 
and  De  Heister  the  left.  There  was  also  with  them  a 
troop  of  horse,  which  shone  in  all  the  glittering 
panoply  of  war,  and  made  an  imposing  appearance. 
Colonel  Rahl  was  ordered  to  cross  the  Broux ;  and 
General  Leslie,  with  a  large  force  of  British  and  Hes- 
sians, to  advance  in  front,  and  endeavor  to  dislodge 
the  Americans  from  Chatterton's  Hill.  The  British 
commenced  a  furious  cannonade,  and  under  its  cover 
Leslie  hastened  to  construct  a  bridge  over  the  Broux. 
He  was  severely  galled  by  two  field-pieces  posted  on 
Chatterton's  Hill,  under  the  skilful  direction  of  Alex- 
ander Hamilton,  the  young  officer  of  artillery.  When 
the  bridge  was  finished,  the  British  made  an  attempt 
to  take  Hamilton's  field-pieces ;  and  three  times  they 
were  discharged,  ploughing  through  the  enemy's 
columns.  Rahl  and  the  Hessian  brigade  having 
forded  the  Broux,  attempted  to  turn  McDougall's  right 
flank.  The  militia  were  of  little  service :  he  posted 
them  very  prudently  behind  a  stone  wall,  and  there 
they  did  some  service  until  they  observed  some  Bri- 
tish cavalry  brandishing  their  sabres;  after  which, 
overcome  with  terror,  they  incontinently  fled.  Haz- 
lett  and  Smallwood  made  a  valiant  resistance  at  the 
top  of  the  hill,  and  twice  repulsed  the  British  and 
Hessians,  both  horse  and  foot.  Being  too  closely  con- 


232  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

fined,  however,  and  inferior  in  number  to  their  assail- 
ants, they  retreated  to  a  bridge  over  the  Broux.  Here 
they  fell  in  with  General  Putnam,  who  was  hastening 
with  Beall's  brigade  to  their  assistance.  The  loss  in 
this  action  on  both  sides  was  about  equal;  that  of  the 
Americans  was  four  hundred  men,  killed,  wounded, 
and  prisoners. 

The  British  now  rested  on  the  hill  with  their  left  wing, 
and  with  their  right  extended  to  the  left  of  the  Ameri- 
can lines,  forming  a  semicircle,  with  the  evident  design 
of  outflanking  the  latter.  On  the  next  day  it  was  ex- 
pected that  a  deadly  conflict  would  occur.  The  two 
armies  lay  within  cannon-shotof  each  other.  Washing- 
ton passed  an  anxious  night,  and  busied  himself  in  pla- 
cing his  right  wing  on  stronger  ground.  lie  doubled 
his  intrenchments,  and  erected  three  redoubts.  "When 
Howe  saw  how  strong  these  works  were,  he  aban- 
doned the  purpose  of  a  battle,  and  had  no  hope  of 
being  able  to  dislodge  the  Americans.  Washington  re- 
mained a  few  days  in  camp,  till  he  observed  what  course 
the  British  general  would  pursue ;  for  it  appeared  as 
if  he  intended  to  withdraw  his  army  toward  the  Hud- 
son and  Kingsbridge.  It  soon  became  quite  evident 
that  his  first  purpose  was  to  attack  Fort  Washington, 
and  next  to  pass  the  Hudson  and  carry  the  war  into 
New  Jersey ;  then,  if  possible,  to  advance  to  Phila- 
delphia. In  order  to  oppose  this  plan,  and  as  British 
vessels  obstructed  all  other  convenient  places,  Wash- 
ington ordered  five  thousand  troops  to  cross  at  King'a 
Ferry.  The  rest  of  the  army  was  separated  into  twt* 
divisions;  while  General  Heath  wa*s  to  defend  thp 
passes  of  the  highlands.  General  Lee,  with  four  thca- 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  233 

aand  men,  was  to  remain  at  "White  Plains,  or  follow 
the  general  into  New  Jersey,  as  should  be  deemed 
most  expedient  after  a  full  development  was  made  of 
the  enemy's  plans.  These  orders  being  issued,  Wash- 
ington proceeded  to  inspect  the  forts  of  the  highlands, 
and  met  at  Hackeusack  the  troops  that  had  crosseu 
the  river,  after  a  sixty  miles'  march  in  a  circuitous 
direction  ;  for  the  Phoenix,  Roebuck,  and  Tartar  hav- 
ing anchored  in  the  broad  waters  of  Haverstraw  Bay 
and  the  Tappaan  Sea,  the  army  was  compelled  to 
wind  its  way  through  the  mountain  passes  secured  by 
Lord  Stirling. 

The  British  general  now  moved  all  his  forces  to  the 
vicinity  of  Kingsbridge ;  and  when  he  appeared,  the 
Americans  retired  to  the  lines  near  Fort  Washington. 
The  British  crossed  in  boats,  which  had  been  procured 
from  the  East  River  during  the  preceding  night,  and 
by  these  means  landed  on  New  York  Island.  The 
fort  was  to  be  attacked  at  four  different  points.  The 
commencement  of  the  action  was  made  known  by  a 
heavy  cannonade  and  by  volleys  of  musketry.  Knyp- 
hausen  advanced  in  two  columns  from  the  north; 
Colonel  Rahl  led  the  right,  and  General  Howe  com- 
manded the  left.  General  Matthew  crossed  the  Harlem 
River  in  flat-bottomed  boats ;  Colonel  Stirling,  with 
the  forty-second  regiment,  sailed  down  the  Harlem 
River  facing  New  York;  while  Lord  Percy,  with  the 
Hessians,  attacked  the  American  intrenchments  on 
the  right  flank.  The  fort  was  summoned  to  sur- 
render, but  Colonel  Mayan  returned  a  defiant  answer, 
and  said  that  he  would  defend  himself  to  the  last 
extremity.  The  attack  was  begun  on  the  16th  by 
20* 


234  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

General  Knyphausen  on  the  north,  and  by  Lord  Percy 
on  the  south,  at  the  same  time.  Both  parties  landed 
at  some  distance  from  each  other,  and  having  crossed 
the  Harlem  River,  forced  their  way  up  the  steep 
ascent.  The  fort  was  defended  during  five  hours 
with  extraordinary  bravery ;  but  at  length  Colonel 
Mayan  was  overpowered  and  compelled  to  surrender, 
and  the  whole  garrison  became  prisoners  of  war. 
The  Americans  lost  about  fifty  men  killed  during  the 
attack.  Two  thousand  eight  hundred  men,  including 
officers  and  privates,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 
The  only  terms  which  they  could  obtain,  were,  that 
the  soldiers  should  retain  the  baggage,  and  the  officers 
should  preserve  their  swords. 

Washington  beheld  this  battle  from  the  opposite 
side  of  the  Hudson.  At  one  time  he  entertained  the 
hope  that  the  fort  would  be  able  to  hold  out.  When 
he  saw  his  men  cruelly  bayoneted  by  the  Hessians, 
he  is  sai4  to  have  burst  into  tears.  This  defeat  was 
a  severe  blow  to  the  Americans,  and  a  grievous  mor- 
tification to  the  General.  There  were  mismanagement 
and  want  of  skill  somewhere;  but  with  whom  the 
fault  lay  is  very  uncertain.  The  fort  not  having 
proved  efficient  in  preventing  the  vessels  of  the 
enemy  from  navigating  the  Hudson,  had  been  left  to 
General  Greene  to  be  defended  or  not,  according  to 
his  discretion ;  but  no  positive  command  had  been 
given  to  abandon  it.  General  Washington,  in  a  letter 
written  at  this  time,  giving  an  account  of  the  battle, 
expresses  the  depressing  and  gloomy  forebodings 
which  he  entertained  from  the  fact  that  in  ten  days 
more  he  would  not  have  above  two  thousand  men,  of 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  235 

the  fixed  established  regiments,  on  this  side  the  Hud- 
son Kiver,  to  oppose  the  entire  British  armament; 
and  very  few  more  with  which  to  secure  the  Eastern 
Colonies,  and  the  important  passes  leading  through 
the  highlands  to  Albany,  and  to  the  country  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  lakes.  Having  then  alluded  to  the 
evils  which,  with  a  prophetic  spirit,  he  foresaw  would 
arise  from  short  enlistments,  he  ends  as  follows:  "I 
am  wearied  almost  to  death  by  the  retrograde  motion 
of  things ;  and  I  solemnly  protest,  that  a  pecuniary 
reward  of  twenty  thousand  pounds  a  year  would  not 
induce  me  to  undergo  what  I  do,  and  after  all,  per- 
haps, to  lose  my  character;  as  it  is  impossible,  under 
such  a  variety  of  distressing  circumstances,  to  con- 
duct matters  agreeably  to  public  expectation." 

When  posted  at  Peekskill,  Washington  had  re- 
ceived intelligence  from  the  Northern  army  on  Lake 
Champlain,  under  General  Gates,  where  he  had  made 
preparations  for  the  defence  of  Ticonderoga.  He 
completed  a  small  flotilla,  and  gave  the  command  to 
Arnold.  In  the  meantime  an  armament  was  com- 
pleted by  Carleton,  who,  by  October,  1776,  had 
assembled  between  twenty  and  thirty  vessels  ready 
for  action.  Arnold  displayed  great  bravery  in  an  en- 
gagement which  was  fought  on  the  lake ;  and  during 
a  whole  day  the  contest  continued  with  undiminished 
fury.  The  British  squadron  was  then  anchored  as 
near  as  possible  to  the  American,  inasmuch  as  Car- 
leton hoped  to  capture  them;  but  during  a  cloudy 
night  which  ensued,  Arnold  slipped  through  the  line 
of  the  enemy,  without  being  perceived.  When  the 
wind  lifted  the  fog  in  the  morning,  the  British  pur« 


236  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

sued  them  with  full  sail,  and  the  Americans  stood 
for  Crown  Point.  The  Inflexible,  the  Carleton,  and 
the  Maria,  a  schooner  of  fourteen  guns,  poured  a 
tremendous  fire  upon  them ;  the  Washington  galley 
was  captured,  most  of  her  crew  being  lost,  and  Gene- 
ral Waterbury  and  the  rest  were  taken  prisoners.  To 
Tevent  the  other  vessels  from  being  seized  by  the 
enemy,  Arnold  ran  his  gondolas  on  shore,  set  fire  to 
them,  and  the  men  with  their  muskets  kept  the  enemy 
at  bay  until  they  were  burned.  He  now  set  off 
through  the  forests  for  Crown  Point;  escaped  an 
Indian  ambuscade ;  and  reached  his  destination  in 
safety.  Several  sloops,  schooners,  and  a  gondola 
were  in  the  place ;  and  Waterbury  having  arrived 
the  next  day  on  parole,  with  most  of  his  men,  they 
eaiK'<l  for  Ticonderoga.  The  American  loss  in  the 
action  was  eighty  men,  the  British  forty.  Arnold 
reaped  fresh  renown  from  these  achievements,  on 
account  of  the  skill  and  courage  wThich  he  displayed. 
Carleton  was  joined  at  the  ruins  of  Crown  Point  by 
his  army,  and  then  meditated  an  attack  on  Ticon- 
deroga, which  General  Gates  prepared  to  defend  with 
desperation.  Carleton  concluded  that  he  could  not 
capture  a  fortress  of  such  strength  with  the  force 
which  he  then  commanded,  and  therefore  returned 
to  St.  John's,  and  led  his  troops  into  winter  quarters. 
The  American  troops  would  not,  therefore,  be  re- 
quired to  defend  Ticonderoga,  and  many  of  them 
returned  to  Albany.  "Washington  very  reasonably 
hoped  to  be  reinforced  from  their  numbers.  The 
British  general  now  pursued  the  advantages  he  had 
gained,  and  detached  six  thousand  men  under  Corn- 


OF    GEOKGE    WASHINGTON.  237 

wallis,  who,  landing  on  the  Jersey  side  above  Fort 
Lee,  and  having  taken  possession  of  the  high  grounds, 
continued  his  march  between  the  Hackensack  and 
the  Hudson.  As  the  entire  body  of  troops  com- 
manded by  Washington  was  inferior  in  numbers  to 
those  under  Cornwallis,  he  abandoned  Fort  Lee,  and 
the  garrison  joined  the  main  army  at  Hackensack. 
Washington  was  convinced  that  the  intention  of  the 
enemy  was  to  form  a  line  of  communication,  and  hem. 
the  garrison  in  between  the  two  rivers.  A  great 
quantity  of  stores,  baggage,  and  provisions  was  aban- 
doned; and  in  such  haste  was  the  retreat  made,  that 
the  tents  were  left  standing,  and  the  enemy's  troops 
occupied  them  during  the  same  night.  Nothing  now 
remained  but  a  general  retreat ;  and  an  aide-de-camp, 
by  the  orders  of  Washington,  wrote  to  General  Lee, 
directing  him  to  occupy  with  his  troops  the  Hacken- 
sack  side  of  the  North  River. 

The  troops  then  at  Hackensack  numbered  three 
thousand,  were  much  dispirited,  and  without  intrench- 
ing tools;  and  the  country  being  flat,  Washington 
resolved,  rather  than  incur  the  risk  of  being  shut  in 
between  two  rivers,  to  abandon  the  fertile  lands  to 
the  depredations  of  the  enemy.  .  He  therefore  ad- 
vanced on  the  west  bank  of  the  Passaic,  not  far  from 
Newark.  The  Jersey  shore  was  exposed  to  the 
enemy's  vessels  from  New  York  to  Brunswick;  and 
a  march  near  the  Raritan  River  was  necessary  to  pre- 
vent General  Howe  from  intercepting  him  on  his  ap- 
proach to  Philadelphia.  He  now  sent  Colonel  Reed 
to  Burlington  to  Governor  Livingston,  and  General 
Mifflin  to  Congress,  then  in  session  in  Philadelphia, 


238  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

to  obtain  immediate  aid  ;  inasmuch  as  the  term  of  ser- 
vice of  Mercer's  militia  of  ten  thousand  men  was 
almost  expired,  and  they  would  not  be  likely  to  leave 
their  homes  to  endure  the  deprivations  of  a  miserable 
campaign  in  that  inclement  season  of  the  year,  dis- 
heartened as  they  were  by  defeats,  and  by  gloomy 
forebodings  of  the  future. 

Washington  afterward  directed  General  Lee  to 
cross  the  Hudson  at  once;  and  he  then  supposed  him 
to  be  at  Peekskill.  Various  other  communications 
passed  between  them ;  and  the  diminished  forces  of 
the  Americans  being  in  a  perilous  situation,  Wash- 
ington again  wrote  to  Lee  in  a  pressing  manner,  and 
repeated  his  orders,  informing  him  that  the  enemy 
had  now  passed  the  Passaic,  and  that  probably  Phila- 
delphia was  their  ultimate  object.  A  council  of  war 
was  now  summoned,  and  several  officers  recom- 
mended that  a  movement  should  be  made  to  Morris- 
town,  where  the  troops  of  Lee's  army  could  join 
them ;  but  the  General  was  of  opinion  that  he  would 
make  a  stand  at  Brunswick  on  the  Raritan,  or  dis- 
pute the  passage  of  the  Delaware.  He  therefore 
retreated ;  and  so  closely  was  Cornwallis  on  his  rear, 
that  as  he  left  Newark  on  the  one  side,  the  British 
troops  entered  it  at  the  other.  Washington  wrote 
from  Brunswick  to  Governor  Livingston  on  the  29th, 
desiring  him  to  remove  to  the  western  bank  of  the 
Delaware,  and  put  under  guard  all  boats  on  the  river 
for  seventy  miles.  The  force  assembled  at  Brunswick, 
united  with  the  New  Jersey  militia,  was  not  over  four 
thousand  men  ;  and  no  assistance  had  been  obtained 
from  the  Legislature  of  New  Jersey.  The  term  of 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  239 

the  Maryland  and  New  Jersey  troops  had  expired, 
arid  they  resolutely  deserted  the  cause.  Such  great 
numbers  of  the  Pennsylvania  levies  also  departed, 
that  they  were  intercepted  at  the  ferries  hy  guards 
placed  there  for  that  purpose,  and  were  even  stopped 
on  the  public  roads. 

Perfidy  in  the  camp  was  now  added  to  cowardice. 
A  letter  written  by  General  Lee  to  Colonel  Reed  at 
this  time,  was  brought  to  head-quarters ;  and  as 
"Washington  supposed  that  it  referred  to  official  busi- 
ness, he  opened  it  and  read  as  follows :  "  I  received 
your  most  obliging,  flattering  letter;  and  lament  with 
you  that  fatal  indecision  of  mind,  which  in  war  is  a 
much  greater  disqualification  than  stupidity,  or  even 
want  of  personal  courage.  Accident  may  put  a  deci- 
sive blunderer  in  the  right;  but  eternal  defeat  and 
miscarriage  must  attend  the  man  of  the  best  parts,  if 
cursed  with  indecision."  The  surprise  of  Washing- 
ton at  detecting  such  treachery  on  the  part  of  one  of 
his  most  eminent  and  trusted  officers,  may  readily  be 
imagined ;  but  with  that  self-possession  and  coolness 
which  so  remarkably  characterized  him,  he  enclosed 
this  letter  to  Colonel  Reed,  accompanying  it  with  a 
note,  stating  by  what  accident  he  had  happened  to 
open  it.  Colonel  Reed  was  greatly  mortified  at  this 
incident;  and  though  Washington  consulted  him 
subsequently  on  military  affairs,  he  lost  much  of  .the 
confidence  of  the  commander-in-chief,  who  afterward 
confined  his  communications  with  him  to  mere  mat- 
ters of  business. 

While  Washington  was  waiting  to  no  purpose  at 
Brunswick,  as  late  as  the  1st  of  December,  1776,  in 


240  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

hopes  of  being  reinforced  by  General  Lee,  the  British 
troops  made  their  appearance  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  Raritan.  Washington  retreated,  after  having 
broken  down  the  bridge  over  that  stream ;  while 
Alexander  Hamilton  opened  a  spirited  fire  to  check 
the  attempts  of  the  British  to  ford  it.  Two  brigades, 
consisting  of  twelve  hundred  men,  were  left  at  Prince- 
ton under  Lord  Stirling  and  General  Adam  Stephens. 
The  American  army  reached  Trenton  on  the  2d  of 
December,  and  their  stores  and  baggage  were  re- 
moved across  the  Delaware.  Washington  expressed 
his  fears  in  reference  to  the  army  to  the  President 
of  Congress,  and  complained  of  want  of  exertion  on 
the  part  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  country,  and  of  in- 
difference in  the  militia.  While  the  most  gloomy 
period  of  the  war  now  intervened,  and  the  whole 
effective  force  of  Washington  was  scarcely  worthy  of 
the  name  of  an  army,  a  joint  proclamation  was  made 
by  Lord  Howe  and  the  general,  his  brother,  by  which 
pardon  was  offered  in  the  name  of  the  British  mon- 
arch to  all  who  should,  within  sixty  days,  take  the 
oath  of  allegiance  to  him.  Many  persons  of  wealth 
and  importance  accepted  the  offer  and  toolj-this  oath, 
and  the  whole  Confederacy  was  filled  with  despondency. 
But  these  things  could  not  intimidate  the  resolute 
heart  of  Washington  :  he  determined  to  persevere ; 
and  asking  General  Mercer,  who  had  shared  his 
perils  in  the  expeditions  and  adventures  of  his  earlier 
days:  "  What  is  your  opinion  ;  would  the  Pennsylva- 
uians  help  us  if  we  should  retreat  to  the  back  parts 
of  Pennsylvania?"  Mercer  answered,  that  "if  the 
lower  counties  gave  up,  the  back  counties  would  do 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  241 

the  same."  Washington  replied:  ""We  must  retire 
to  Augusta  County  in  Virginia.  Numbers  will  repair 
to  us  for  safety,  and  we  will  try  a  predatory  war.  If 
overpowered,  we  must  cross  the  Alleghenies."  Such 
was  the  unconquerable  perseverance  and  intrepidity 
which  Washington  exhibited,  at  one  of  the  darkest 
moments  of  the  Revolution. 

The  tardy  Lee  was  still  at  Peekskill  on  the  last  day 
of  November,  and  he  promised  soon  to  join  Washing- 
ton with  four  thousand  men.  He  expected  no  less 
than  two  thousand  from  General  Heath;  and  taking 
him  aside  he  alluded  to  a  former  refusal  of  his  to 
resign  any  of  his  troops,  as  being  contrary  to  the 
orders  of  the  commander-in-chief.  TJQQ  now  asked 
for  two  thousand  men,  whom  Heath  could  not  spare  ; 
and  the  latter  declared  that  not  a  man  should  leave 
with  his  consent.  Lee  then  affirmed  that  he  would 
order  them  himself;  to  which  Heath  replied,  that 
that  made  a  wide  difference,  and  that  though  General 
Lee  was  his  superior  officer,  he  had  received  positive 
orders  from  Washington  on  the  subject.  These  he 
then  showed  to  Lee,  who  replied  that  the  commander 
was  now  at  a  distance,  and  did  not  know  what  to  do 
as  well  as  he.  Having  obtained  the  return  book  of 
the  division,  Lee  selected  two  regiments  to  march 
with  him  on  the  next  morning.  In  the  end  Heath 
induced  Lee  to  give  a  written  order,  by  which,  a& 
senior  officer,  the  troops  were  to  be  taken  on  his  own 
responsibility.  On  the  next  day,  however,  Lee  had 
altered  his  purpose,  departed  without  the  additional 
regiments,  and  crossed  the  Hudson  o>  the  4th  of 
December. 

21*  Q 


242  THE    LIFE    AND    TIME8 

Washington,  in  the  meantime,  was  posted  at  Treu- 
ton ;  and  reinforced  by  fifteen  hundred  militia  from 
Pennsylvania,  was  ready  to  march  to  Princeton.  He 
sent  twelve  hundred  men  to  strengthen  Lord  Stirling, 
on  the  5th,  and  with  the  remainder,  followed  on  the 
next  day.  While  on  the  march  he  received  a  commu- 
nication from  General  Greene,  in  which  he  stated 
that  "Lee  was  at  the  heels  of  the  enemy."  Corn- 
wallis,  in  the  meantime,  being  strongly  reinforced, 
marched  from  Brunswick  to  within  two  miles  of 
Princeton ;  and  Washington  having  heard  of  his 
movements,  ordered  all  the  troops  and  stores  to  be 
conveyed  over  the  Delaware.  He  himself  crossed  on 
Sunday  morning,  and  took  up  his  quarters  about  a 
mile  from  the  river;  causing  the  fords  to  be  protected, 
and  all  the  boats  to  be  destroyed,  which  before  were 
collected  together.  The  last  of  the  troops  had  scarcely 
been  transported,  when  Cornwallis  came  up,  in  ex- 
pectation of  seizing  the  boats ;  but  not  one  was  to  be 
obtained  on  that  side  of  the  river  for  seventy  miles. 
Washington  had  ordered  them  all  to  be  removed  to 
the  right  bank.  Cornwallis,  seeing  he  could  not  gain 
any  advantage,  led  his  main  force  back  to  Brunswick, 
intending  to  cross  on  the  ice,  and  placed  his  German 
auxiliaries  into  cantonments.  Washington  again  sent 
an  appeal  to  General  Lee :  "  Do  come ;  your  arrival 
may  be  fortunate ;  and,  if  it  can  be  effected  without 
delay,  it  may  be  the  means  of  preserving  a  city,  whose 
loss  must  prove  of  the  most  fatal  consequence  to  the 
cause  of  America."  Philadelphia  was  now  under 
the  command  of  General  Putnam,  who,  with  the  aid 
of  General  Mifflin,  placed  it  in  a  state  of  defence. 


OP    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  243 

On  account  of  the  impending  danger,  Congress,  on 
the  12th  of  December,  adjourned  to  Baltimore.  It 
was  understood  that  General  Gates  was  advancing 
with  seven  regiments  from  the  north;  and  these,  with 
five  thousand  five  hundred  men  which  he  then  had, 
together  with  those  under  Lee,  would  enable  Wash- 
ington to  strike  a  blow  at  the  enemy  which  he  hoped 
would  be  decisive  in  its  results.  Lee  had  advanced 
as  far  as  Morristown,  when,  in  a  letter  of  the  8th  of 
December  to  a  committee  of  Congress,  he  declared 
that  he  would  immediately  join  the  army  of  "Wash- 
ington, but  that  he  was  assured  that  it  was  already 
very  strong.  Nevertheless,  on  the  12th  of  December, 
he  advanced  to  Vealtown,  where  he  posted  General 
Sullivan ;  while  he  took  up  his  quarters  at  a  tavern 
at  Buskingridge,  three  miles  distant  from  his  troops. 
The  enemy  became  acquainted  with  his  situation  by 
means  of  a  Tory,  who  communicated  the  fact;  and  a 
party  of  light-horse,  under  Captain  Harcourt,  sur- 
rounded the  house,  and  bore  him  off  in  triumph  to 
their  camp  at  Brunswick.  General  Sullivan  then 
took  the  command,  and  hastened  to  join  Washington. 
The  loss  of  Lee  was  a  heavy  blow  at  that  time  to  the 
interests  of  the  patriots.  Some  doubted  whether  he 
had  not  purposely  thrown  himself  in  the  enemy's 
way;  but  his  subsequent  treatment  by  .the  British 
disproved  this  suspicion.  He  was  true  to  the  Ame- 
rican cause,  but  he  was  such  more  from  hatred  of 
the  British,  than  through  attachment  to  the  cause  of 
liberty.  He  was  a  man  of  military  reputation,  but 
violent  in  temper,  of  boundless  ambition  ;  and  after 
the  first  year  of  the  war,  during  which  he  had  ren- 


244  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

dered  important  services,  he  became  arrogant,  pre- 
sumptuous, and  impatient  of  control. 

Washington  knew,  at  this  crisis,  -the  disposition  of 
the  people,  and  the  resources  of  the  Confederacy :  he 
was  well  aware  that  the  pressure  of  misfortunes  would 
eventually  be  removed  by  perseverance ;  and  that,  as 
long  as  the  Americans  could  keep  an  army  in  the 
field,  England  must  carry  on  the  war  at  an  expense 
too  enormous  to  be  sustained  even  by  the  most  opu- 
lent and  lavish  of  nations.  He  therefore  set  himself 
.about  the  renewed  establishment  of  the  army ;  wrote 
to  Congress  in  the  most  pressing  manner,  and  with 
such  effect  that,  from  the  very  force  of  circumstances, 
that  body  looked  no  longer  with  jealousy  on  the 
strengthening  of  the  army ;  but  confident  in  the  ability 
.and  rectitude  of  Washington,  constituted  him  military 
dictator,  with  greatly  enlarged  powers,  which  were  to 
continue  during  six  months.  By  a  decree  they  di- 
rected that,  "until  they  should  otherwise  order, 
General  Washington  should  be  possessed  of  all  power 
to  order  and  direct  all  things  relative  to  the  depart- 
ment and  operations  of  war."  Beside  those  troops 
already  voted,  amounting  to  eighty-eight  companies, 
he  had  power  to  raise  sixteen  battalions  of  infantry, 
three  thousand  light-horse,  three  regiments  of  artil- 
lery, and  a  corps  of  engineers,  and  to  summon  what 
aid  he  might  deem  necessary  from  the  militia  in  any 
State;  to  form  magazines  of  provisions;  appoint  all 
officers  under  brigadiers,  or  displace  them ;  to  fill  up 
the  army;  to  take  at  a  fair  price,  whatever  provisions 
the  army  should  need ;  to  confine  those  persons  who 
would  not  receive  the  continental  currency,  and  to 
imprison  all  disaffected  persons. 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  245 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

WASHINGTON  REINFORCED — GATES  REFUSES   TO   CO-OPERATE — PLAN  01 
ATTACK  ON   TRENTON  —  PASSAGE   OF   THE   DELAWARE  —  BATTLE   OF 

TRENTON  —  CAPTURE  OF   THE   HESSIANS THE   TROOPS   RECEIVE   A 

BOUNTY,  AND  REMAIN  —  GENERAL  HOWE  SURPRISED — HE  SEND3 
CORN WALLIS  TO  NEW  JERSEY — CORNWALLIS  AT  THE  ASSUNPINK  — 
HIS  CONFIDENCE  OF  SUCCESS  —  MASTERLY  MOVEMENTS  OF  WASHING- 
TON—  CORNWALLIS  OUT-GENERALLED  —  BATTLE  OF  PRINCETON  — 
DEATH  OF  GENERAL  MERCER — EFFECTS  OF  THE  BATTLE — INCREASING 
REPUTATION  OF  WASHINGTON  IN  CONSEQUENCE  OF  THESE  VICTORIES. 

THE  troops  recently  commanded  by  General  Lee 
were  conducted  into  the  American  camp  on  the  20th 
of  December,  1776,  by  General  Sullivan.  They  were 
in  a  very  destitute  condition.  General  Gates  also  ar- 
rived with  four  regiments  from  the  north.  The  enemy 
had  now  relapsed  into  a  state  of  confident  apathy, 
and  Washington  resolved  to  put  in  execution  a  skil- 
fully planned  coup-de-main,  against  the  apparently  in- 
vincible British.  The  Hessians  were  posted  along 
the  Delaware,  opposite  the  American  lines.  The 
forces  of  the  latter  now  numbered  nearly  six  thou- 
sand men.  It  was  the  intention  of  "Washington  to 
attack  the  Hessian  posts  by  several  simultaneous 
movements  at  different  points.  The  Hessians  had 
become  the  terror  of  the  Jerseys ;  and  the  reduced 
condition  of  the  Americans  had  induced  them  to  re- 
lax their  diligence.  Three  Hessian  regiments  under 
21* 


246  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

Kahl,  Lossing,  and  Knyphausen,  were  then  stationed 
at  Trenton.  Rahl,  who  had  distinguished  himself  at 
White  Plains  and  Fort  Washington,  commanded  the 
post.  He  was  a  young  man,  very  fond  of  music,  light- 
hearted,  and  had  taken  but  little  pains  with  the  forti- 
fications. Now  therefore  was  the  time  to  strike.  The 
river  was  frozen  ;  and  an  intercepted  letter  informed 
Washington  that  General  Howe  purposed  to  cross 
over  on  the  ice  to  Philadelphia. 

Washington  directed  Gates  to  proceed  to  Bristol, 
and  take  the  command  of  that  place.  But  he  declined 
the  trust  on  account  of  ill-health ;  and  though  he 
wished  to  visit  Philadelphia,  Washington  desired  him 
to  remain  a  few  days  at  Bristol,  and  aid  the  counsels 
of  Reed  and  Cadwallader.  The  secret  was  that  he 
wished  to  obtain  a  separate  command,  and  was  going 
to  Congress  to  make  interest  for  this  purpose.  The 
25th  of  December  was  the  time  appointed  for  the 
purposed  assault  on  the  British.  The  troops,  two 
thousand  four  hundred  in  number,  with  twenty  pieces 
of  artillery,  under  Washington,  began  to  cross  the 
Delaware  nine  miles  above  Trenton,  at  McKonkey's 
Ferry.  It  was  supposed  that  the  passage  of  the  river 
would  be  effected  before  twelve  o'clock ;  but  floating 
ice  in  the  channel  retarded  the  boats  so  effectually, 
that  it  was  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  before  all  had 
crossed,  with  the  artillery,  to  the  opposite  bank.  The 
passage  was  very  dangerous  on  account  of  the  ice ; 
and  Washington,  who  had  accompanied  the  men, 
patiently  waited  on  the  eastern  bank  until  the  whole 
of  the  artillery  was  landed.  Trenton  was  nine  miles 
distant.  It  was  not  possible  to  reach  it  without  dis« 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON. 

eovery,  or  to  retreat ;  and  "Washington  therefore 
formed  the  troops  into  two  divisions.  Two  roads  at 
different  points  led  to  the  town  at  nearly  equal  dis- 
tances ;  and  a  simultaneous  attack  was  ordered  to  be 
made  by  both.  The  first  division,  led  by  Washing- 
ton, was  to  approach  the  north  of  Trenton  by  the 
Pennington  road ;  Greene,  Stirling,  Mercer,  and  Ste- 
phen accompanied  him  in  this  direction.  The  other 
division,  under  Sullivan,  took  the  road  by  the  river, 
leading  to  the  western  end.  The  plan  adopted  was 
to  force  the  outer  guards,  and  then  take  possession  of 
the  town. 

The  two  divisions  reached  Trenton  about  the  same 
time;  and  encountered  no  opposition,  except  from 
two  pieces  of  artillery,  which  they  captured.  The 
Hessians  were  driven  from  the  town,  and  endeavored 
to  retreat  toward  Princeton ;  but  they  were  inter- 
cepted, driven  back,  surrounded,  and  made  priso- 
ners. Twenty-three  officers,  eight  hundred  privates, 
and  others  afterward  found  in  concealment,  were 
compelled  to  surrender.  The  whole  number  of  the 
enemy  placed  hors  du  combat,  amounted  to  one  thou- 
sand men.  A  thousand  stand  of  arms,  and  six  brass 
cannon,  also  fell  into  the  possession  of  the  victors. 
The  killed  were  six  officers  and  thirty  men.  Colonel 
Eahl,  the  commander,  received  a  mortal  wound,  of 
which  he  expired  soon  afterward.  Four  or  five  hun- 
dred Hessians,  and  the  British  light-horse,  escaped  to 
Bordentown.  The  American  loss  was  only  two  pri- 
vates killed ;  Captain  William  Washington,  a  cavalry 
officer,  and  Lieutenant  Monroe,  afterward  President 
of  the  United  States,  wounded.  Two  men  were  frozen 


248  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

to  death — an  event  which  was  a  suffiicent  preof  of  the 
intensity  of  the  cold.  Heavy  snow  and  hail  fell  dur- 
ing the  march.  So  rapidly  had  the  ice  formed  below 
Trenton,  that  it  was  impossible  for  the  troops  of  Cad- 
wallader  and  Ewing  to  pass  the  river  at  the  time 
appointed,  in  order  to  participate  in  the  attack  on 
Trenton  ;  though  Cadwallader  succeeded  in  conduct- 
ing one  battalion  over.  But  such  was  the  condition 
of  the  ice,  that  he  failed  to  transport  the  artillery. 
Had  Ewing  crossed,  according  to  the  orders  and  in- 
tention of  Washington,  and  taken  the  bridge  at  the 
southern  extremity  of  Trenton,  the  party  that  escaped 
would  have  been  captured ;  and  Cadwallader  would 
probably  have  been  equally  successful  with  the  de- 
tachment below,  or  would  at  least  have  driven  them 
back  so  as  to  be  taken  by  the  victorious  Americans. 

As  this  portion  of  his  plans  had  not  been  carried 
out;  as  the  enemy  was  strongly  posted  at  Brunswick 
and  Trenton ;  and  as  his  own  troops  were  now  much 
fatigued,  General  Washington  wisely  declined  to  pur- 
sue his  victory  any  further;  but  again  crossed  the 
Delaware  with  his  prisoners,  and  reached  his  camp. 
By  this  unexpected  triumph  the  cantonments  of  the 
enemy  on  the  Delaware  were  broken  up,  and  the 
British  and  Hessian  troops  posted  at  Bordentown  re- 
treated to  Princeton.  The  troops  being  at  length 
refreshed,  Washington  again  crossed  the  river  tc 
Trenton,  with  an  intention  of  following  up  his  advan- 
tage. The  main  army  at  Trenton  received  an  aug- 
mentation of  eighteen  hundred  Pennsylvania  militia, 
under  General  Cadwallader,  and  as  many  more  under 
General  Mifflin. 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  249 

The  service  of  several  regiments  expired  on  the 
last  day  of  the  year,  and  the  men  seemed  anxious  to 
return  to  their  homes,  being  wearied  with  the  labors 
and  perils  of  the  campaign ;  but  the  half  of  them, 
through  the  earnest  persuasion  of  the  commander, 
and  a  bounty  of  ten  dollars,  consented  to  remain  six 
weeks  longer.  General  Howe  was  patiently  waiting 
until  the  Delaware  should  be  frozen  over,  to  conduct 
his  troops  to  Philadelphia ;  and  the  news  of  the  cap- 
ture of  the  Hessians  at  Trenton  having  reached  him 
in  his  pleasant  winter  quarters  in  New  York,  he  was 
astonished  that  veteran  forces  which  made  war  their 
trade  should  be  beaten  by  a  raw  and  undisciplined 
militia.  He  retained  Cornwallis  when  about  to  em- 
bark for  England ;  sent  him  back  to  the  Jerseys,  and 
the  broken  cantonments  of  the  British  were  collected 
in  a  bod}7  at  Trenton.  A  party  of  Philadelphia  light- 
horse  captured  twelve  British  dragoons,  from  whom  it 
was  ascertained  that  the  forces  of  Cornwallis  amounted 
to  eight  thousand  men ;  and  news  arrived  soon  after- 
ward of  the  landing  of  General  Howe  at  Amboy, 
with  one  thousand  troops. 

Washington  was  now  in  a  critical  position.  Indi 
cations  appeared  which  made  an  attack  by  the  British 
probable ;  and  while  his  force  was  too  small  to  en- 
counter the  foe,  a  retreat  would  be  discouraging.  He 
therefore  collected  together  the  combined  troops  of 
Cadwallader  and  Mifflin,  amounting  to  three  thousand 
men,  and  placed  the  main  body  on  the  east  of  the 
Assunpink.  The  water  was  very  deep ;  the  bridge 
over  it  was  commanded  by  the  artillery  placed  on  it ; 
and  the  advance-guard  was  stationed  in  a  wood  three 


250  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

miles  distant,  with  Skabbakong  Creek  in  front  of 
them.  On  the  2d  of  January,  1777,  General  Greene 
skirmished  with  the  advanced  guard  of  Cornwallis ; 
and  it  was  nearly  sunset  when  the  British  forces  en- 
tered Trenton.  The  British  commander  formed  his 
troops  into  columns,  and  attempted  to  cross  the  bridge 
over  the  Assunpink;  but  he  was  repulsed  with  a  heavy 
loss  by  the  artillery.  "Washington  superintended  the 
operations,  stationed  by  the  bridge,  mounted  on  a  white 
horse.  Cornwallis  now  felt  assured  that  he  held  the 
American  troops  and  commander  in  his  grasp:  he 
gave  his  forces  a  night's  rest,  to  render  them  the  more 
efficient  in  the  approaching  service.  The  cannon- 
ading continued  till  dark;  and  the  two  armies  lay 
near  each  other,  expecting  on  the  morrow  a  decisive 
and  bloody  action.  The  danger  to  the  Americans 
was  imminent.  A  general  engagement  might  be 
disastrous.  A  raw  and  inexperienced  army  was  sepa- 
rated only  by  a  shallow  stream  from  a  powerful  and 
well-disciplined  force.  The  Delaware,  with  its  float- 
ing ice,  lay  behind ;  and  even  a  retreat  across  it,  if 
such  could  be  effected,  would  leave  Philadelphia  in 
the  power  of  the  enemy,  and  depress  the  hopes  of  the 
Americans  to  desperation. 

The  following  night  was  one  of  the  most  anxious 
of  the  many  harassing  seasons  passed  by  Washington 
during  this  memorable  war;  but  he  possessed  a  mind 
fertile  in  expedients,  and  adequate  to  every  emer- 
gency. Cornwallis  had  left  but  a  small  number  of 
men  behind  him,  and  his  baggage  and  stores  were 
but  weakly  guarded  at  Brunswick.  Very  few  of  the 
enemy's  force  remained  in  Trenton.  Would  it  not 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  251 

be  possible  to  surprise  those  posted  at  Trenton,  and 
after  capturing  or  destroying  the  stores,  to  proceed  to 
Brunswick?  Success  in  such  a  venture  would  aid 
the  American  cause ;  and  even  in  the  event  of  the 
loss  of  Philadelphia,  a  blow  struck  in  New  Jersey 
would  be  advantageous.  This  scheme  was  approved 
by  all  the  members  of  the  council  of  war  held  in  the 
evening;  and  there  was  but  one  opposing  considera- 
tion. The  mildness  of  the  weather  and  the  depth  of 
the  thaw,  might  render  the  miry  roads  impassable; 
but  it  so  happened  that  a  north  wind  dried  them  in 
several  hours,  when  they  became  frost-bound.  The 
baggage  was  then  removed  to  Burlington,  and  the 
army  prepared  to  effect  a  rapid  march.  Trenches  were 
dug  near  the  British  sentries  during  the  night;  men 

O  CJ  O  * 

kept  bustling  about  and  making  the  usual  rounds; 
the  guards  at  the  fords  and  the  bridge  were  relieved; 
while  the  camp-fires  burned  with  more  than  their 
ordinary  effulgence,  and  all  seemed  to  denote  the 
permanency  and  order  of  an  encamped  army.  Those 
who  were  thus  engaged  were  ordered  to  hasten  after 
the  troops  in  the  morning. 

The  American  army  withdrew  from  its  encamp- 
ment at  midnight.  General  Mercer  led  the  van ; 
Washington  brought  up  the  rear,  and  passing  by  a 
circuitous  route  along  the  Quaker  road,  reached 
Princeton  by  daybreak.  Three  British  regiments 
under  Colonel  Mawood  were  then  in  Princeton,  and 
two  of  them  were  already  commencing  to  march  to 
reinforce  Cornwallis  in  the  morning.  They  were  the 
seventeenth,  fortieth,  and  forty-fifth  regiments.  Ma- 
wood  was  advancing  with  the  seventeenth  regiment, 


THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

when  he  saw  Mercer's  troops  approaching  along  the 
Quakw**  road  to  secure  the  bridge.  He  imagined  that 
they  were  fugitive  Americans  escaping  from  the  pur- 
suit of  Cornwallis ;  and  wheeling  about,  sent  orders 
to  the*  other  regiments  at  Princeton  to  surround 
them,  and  cut  off  their  retreat.  He  soon  became 
aware  of  his  error.  After  a  severe  action  the  disor- 
dered British  regiment  fled ;  or,  according  to  other 
accounts,  they  broke  through  the  American  ranks. 
They  made  good  their  escape,  however,  by  the  Tren- 
ton road.  The  fifty-fifth  regiment  fought  resolutely 
during  a  brief  interval,  and  then  retreated  toward 
Brunswick :  the  fortieth  also,  which  had  been  less 
engaged  during  the  action,  fell  back  to  the.  same 
place.  By  this  defeat  the  British  lost  one  hundred 
killed,  and  three  hundred  prisoners.  The  Americana 
lost  thirty  men,  and  Colonels  Hazlett,  Potter,  and 
others  of  subordinate  rank;  General  Mercer  was  mor- 
tally wounded.  That  valiant  officer  was  a  Scotchman 
by  birth,  and  had  fought  in  the  memorable  battle  of 
Culloden.  He  had  served  in  the  Old  French  War, 
and  was  an  attached  and  devoted  friend  of  the  Ame- 
rican commander.  During  this  battle  "Washington 
exposed  himself  to  the  hottest  fire  of  the  enemy,  and 
continued  to  order  and  animate  his  troops,  regardless 
of  the  most  imminent  personal  danger. 

When  Cornwallis  discovered  that  the  Americans 
had  left  their  camp,  the  report  of  distant  firing 
assured  him  that  they  were  in  Princeton.  He  enter- 
tained fears  for  Brunswick;  retreated,  and  reached 
Princeton  as  the  Americans  left  it.  The  two  de- 
feated regiments  were  pursued  by  Washington  as  far 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  253 

as  Kingston ;  and  he  ordered  the  bridge  there  to  be 
destroyed  to  hinder  the  enemy's  march.  He  arrived 
at  Pluckamin  the  same  evening.  The  troops  were 
now  much  fatigued,  and  had  been  thirty-eight  hours 
without  rest.  As  Cornwallis  and  his  troops  were 
advancing,  he  gave  up  his  purposed  attack  on  Bruns- 
wick, and  remained  at  Pluckamin  long  enough  to 
refresh  his  troops.  He  then  led  them  to  Morristown, 
where  he  established  his  winter  quarters.  This  situ- 
ation possessed  the  advantage  of  being  in  a  moun- 
tainous district,  in  the  heart  of  a  fertile  country ;  and 
was  both  furnished  with  supplies,  and  difficult  to  be 
approached  by  the  foe. 

Meanwhile,  detachments  of  Americans  assailed  the 
troops  of  Howe  with  vigor,  and  harassed  them  so 
effectually  that,  except  at  Brunswick  and  at  Amboy, 
the  British  and  Hessian  troops  had  entirely  aban- 
doned the  Jerseys.  The  recent  triumph  had  effect- 
ually turned  the  scale  of  public  opinion,  and  trans- 
formed a  campaign  which  had  been  begun  amid 
gloom  and  despondency,  into  one  of  victorious  exul- 
tation and  confident  hope.  The  poor,  ill-clad,  ill- 
disciplined  troops  of  the  patriots  had  been  conducted 
to  victory 'under  the  most  unfavorable  circumstances, 
and  had  overcome  a  well-disciplined  and  veteran 
army.  The  British  general,  who  imagined  that  ho 
had  secured  his  enemy,  had  been  outwitted;  and 
while  the  British  forces  were  nearly  driven  from  New 
Jersey,  the  prudent  policy  of  Washington,  which  had 
been  censured  by  many,  was  shown  to  be  a  principle 
of  practical  greatness  and  of  profound  wisdom,  which 
triumphed  by  awaiting  its  time ;  while  the  talents  of 
22 


254  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

the  commander  shone  fortoi  in  their  force  and  splen- 
dor, demonstrating  him  to  be  fitted  for  every  emer- 
gency. This  campaign  was  the  ordeal  by  which  he 
was  to  be  estimated ;  and  the  American  Fabius  was 
the  epithet  applied  to  him  by  the  generals  aud  states- 
men of  Europe,  in  consequence  of  the  nature  and 
success  of  the  operations  conducted  by  him  in  it. 


OP    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  25i 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

WASHINGTON'S  PROCLAMATION  —  CORRESPONDENCE  WITH  GENERAL 
HOWE ILL  TREATMENT  OF  AMERICAN  PRISONERS  —  WASHING- 
TON'S PERPLEXITY  RESPECTING  THE  BRITISH  FLEET LAFAYETTE'S 

FIRST   MEETING  WITH  WASHINGTON MARCH   OF  THE  AMERICAN 

ARMY  THROUGH  PHILADELPHIA THE  BRITISH  AT  THE  HEAD  OP 

THE   ELK WASHINGTON   ON   THE    HEIGHTS  AT  CHADD's   FORD 

BATTLE  OF  THE  BRANDYWINE  —  ITS  INCIDENTS  —  THE  BRITISH  IN 

PHILADELPHIA BOLD    SCHEME   OF   WASHINGTON HE    ATTACKS 

THE  BRITISH  AT  GERMANTOWN  —  BATTLE  OF  GERMANTOWN  —  ITS 

RESULTS. 

THE  American  head-quarters  at  Morristown  con- 
sisted of  huts  made  in  a  very  frail  and  temporary 
manner.  Cantonments  were  placed  in  various  places 
from  Princeton  to  the  highlands,  and  partial  engage- 
ments took  place  occasionally  between  British  forag- 
ing parties  and  the  advanced  troops,  though  neither 
army  performed  any  action  of  importance  during  the 
ensuing  six  months.  The  hopes  of  those  were  bit- 
terly disappointed,  who,  after  the  proclamation  of 
General  Howe  and  his  brother,  had  returned  to  their 
allegiance  to  the  British  monarch ;  not  only  because 
the  Hessian  troops,  in  scouring  the  country,  had 
plundered  indifferently  both  friend  and  foe,  and  had 
committed  outrages  more  appropriate  to  savages  than 
to  the  troops  of  a  civilized  nation  ;  but  on  account  of 
the  victories  of  the  Americans  which  had  recently 


266  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

taken  place,  and  had  complete!}7  altered  the  general 
aspect  of  affairs.  The  patriots  gained  some  advan- 
tages by  the  cruelty  of  the  Hessians,  in  consequence 
of  the  indignation  excited  against  them ;  by  which 
means  many  were  now  induced  to  take  up  arms, 
urged  on  by  a  spirit  of  revenge.  Many  substantial 
farmers  and  men  of  wealth  entertained  conscientious 
scruples  in  reference  to  the  oaths  they  had  taken ; 
but  the  matter  was  cut  short  by  Washington,  who 
issued  a  counter-proclamation,  in  which  he  stated 
that  those  who  had  formerly  accepted  British  protec- 
tion should  hasten  to  head-quarters,  and  take  the 
oath  of  allegiance  to  the  United  Colonies.  He  gave 
permission,  at  the  same  time,  to  those  who  preferred 
the  British  jurisdiction  to  the  interests  of  their  coun- 
try, to  betake  themselves  speedily  within  the  British 
lines;  and  all  who  would  not  comply  with  these 
orders  within  thirty  days,  would  be  regarded  and 
treated  as  the  enemies  of  their  country. 

There  were  some  who  thought  this  proceeding  an 
undue  exercise  of  power  on  the  part  of  "Washington, 
and  a  few  members  of  Congress  took  the  same  view ; 
but  "Washington  was  firm  and  determined  in  his  atti- 
tude, and  gave  stringent  instructions  to  his  officers, 
in  accordance  with  the  spirit  of  the  proclamation. 
One  of  the  disadvantages  under  which  he  had  labored, 
was  the  principle  of  innocent  deception  which  he  was 
compelled  to  practise,  in  exaggerating  the  number 
of  his  troops;  and  this  was  necessary,  in  order  to 
conceal  his  real  situation,  the  knowledge  of  which 
would  often  have  been  detrimental  to  the  best  inte- 
rests of  the  cause.  This  deception,  which  often  had 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  257 

the  tendency  of  keeping  the  enemy  at  a  respectful 
distance,  was  injurious  in  several  respects  in  its  influ- 
ence on  the  conduct  of  the  different  States ;  who  in- 
ferred that  there  was  less  necessity  for  furnishing 
their  respective  quotas,  and  only  thought  of  danger 
in  thf>  midst  of  a  campaign.  "Washington  now  wrote 
to  them  in  the  most  urgent  terms,  desiring  them  to 
recruit  atid  fill  up  their  regiments  with  promptness 
and  eviergy.  He  made  appeals  to  every  possible  mo- 
tive of  interest,  patriotism,  and  pride,  to  accomplish 
this  result,  and  that  the  supplies  might  be  furnished  ; 
while  even  the  Congress  was  slow  in  these  matters, 
except  when  directly  incited  by  the  commander-in- 
chief.  To  his  urgent  representation  on  the  necessity 
of  an  increase  of  officers,  five  additional  major-gene- 
rals and  ten  brigadiers  were  appointed.  The  selec- 
tions for  promotion  made  by  Congress  were  often 
influenced  by  local  partialities ;  and  this  cause  had 
the  disadvantage,  that  the  influence  of  parties  often 
bestowed  honors  on  the  less  worthy,  to  the  rejection 
of  those  whose  claims,  if  less  obtrusive,  were  more 
real  and  indisputable. 

A  correspondence  now  took  place  between  Wash- 
ington and  General  Howe,  respecting  an  exchange 
of  prisoners ;  in  which  an  agreement  was  made  that 
officers,  soldiers,  and  citizens  should  be  exchanged ; 
the  officers  for  officers  of  the  same  rank,  and  that 
soldiers  and  citizens  should  be  transferred  for  each 
other,  respectively.  The  British  general  affected  to 
regard  General  Lee  as  a  deserter,  and  under  this  view 
of  the  case  he  was  rigorously  confined.  When  Congress 
were  informed  of  this  fact,  and  also  that  he  was  to  be 
22*  R 


258  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

tried  by  a  court-martial,  they  decided  on  retaliatory 
measures ;  and  decreed  that  such  treatment  as  General 
Lee  received  should  be  extended  to  Colonel  Camp- 
bell, and  five  of,  the  Hessian  officers  who  had  been 
recently  captured.  Colonel  Campbell  was  accordingly 
confined  in  the  common  jail,  and  the  Hessians,  who 
were  sent  to  Virginia,  were  deprived  of  the  usual 
privileges  accorded  to  prisoners  of  war.  -  The  impru- 
dence of  this  retaliatory  course  was  seen,  and  it  was 
disapproved  of  by  "Washington.  Against  it  he  used 
such  arguments  as  were  suggested  by  humanity  and 
policy ;  and  observed,  that  as  yet  the  number  of 
prisoners  of  rank  taken  by  the  Americans  was  only 
fifty,  while  that  captured  by  the  British  amounted  to 
three  hundred.  Yet,  the  American  prisoners  taken 
at  Fort  "Washington  were  treated  with  great  cruelty, 
being  closely  confined  in  New  York  during  the 
winter.  A  large  number  of  them  was  crowded  to- 
gether in  prison -ships,  in  churches,  and  in  other 
places;  and  many  perished  from  hunger,  cold,  and 
loathsome  diseases.  Others,  who  were  sent  in  ex- 
change, were  so  enfeebled  in  health,  that  "Washington 
refused  to  return  for  them  an  equal  number  of  British 
or  Hessians.  Sir  William  Howe  thought  this  con- 
duct violated  the  rules  of  exchange;  and  being  unable 
to  deny  the  facts  of  the  case,  declared  that  he  had 
treated  his  prisoners  as  well  as  circumstances  had 
allowed. 

The  act  of  Congress  respecting  the  captive  officers 
did  not  produce  any  effect  on  Sir  William  Howe ; 
yet  a  want  of  humanity  was  never  supposed  to  be  a 
characteristic  of  that  general.  The  sufferings  of  the 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  259 

prisoners  in  his  power  probably  arose  from  inattention 
on  his  part,  rather  than  from  any  other  cause.  He 
now  addressed  despatches  to  the  British  ministers  in 
reference  to  the  case  of  General  Lee,  who  was  still 
retained  as  a  prisoner  of  war ;  though  it  had  been  hia 
intention  previously  to  send  him  for  trial  to  England. 
Policy  induced  this  change  in  his  purpose ;  because 
the  Hessian  officers  might  meet  with  less  desirable 
treatment  from  the  Americans,  and  this  would  in 
turn  produce  a  bad  effect  on  the  Hessian  troops  serv- 
ing in  the  war. 

The  spring  of  1777  had  considerably  advanced 
before  any  indications  of  the  plan  for  the  ensuing 
campaign  were  given  by  the  British  commander ;  and 
such  as  they  were,  they  seemed  less  extensive  than 
were  expected,  in  consequence  of  the  lateness  of  the 
arrival,  and  the  inferiority  in  the  numbers,  of  his 
reinforcements.  Howe  sent  two  thousand  men  up 
the  Sound  under  Governor  Tryon,  who,  landing  in 
Connecticut,  advanced  and  took  the  town  of  Dan- 
bury,  destroying  the  stores  that  were  in  it.  The 
local  militia,  and  a  few  continental  troops,  bravely 
opposed  them,  harassed  them  on  their  march,  and 
followed  them  in  pursuit  to  their  boats.  These  move- 
ments were  made  under  Generals  Sullivan,  Arnold, 
and  Wooster.  Before  the  British  regained  their 

o 

shipping,  they  lost  three  hundred  men.  Generals 
Wooster  and  Arnold  were  wounded;  the  former 
mortally.  General  Washington  assembled  the  East- 
ern troops  at  Peekskill,  while  those  enlisted  in  the 
new  army  from  Virginia  and  the  Middle  States,  were 
collected  at  head-quarters.  Twenty-four  thousand 


j*50  .         THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

muskets,  lately  received  from  France,  proved  a  valu- 
able acquisition  at  this  time,  as  the  want  of  arms  had 
already  been  severely  felt. 

Meantime  General  Howe,  with  an  augmented  force, 
began  the  erection  of  a  bridge  at  Brunswick.  It  was 
constructed  in  such  a  manner  as  to  be  capable  of 
being  laid  on  flat-bottomed  boat's.  His  intention  was 
supposed  to  be  to  cross  the  Delaware  on  it,  and  ad- 
vance to  Philadelphia.  At  the  end  of  May,  Wash- 
ington took  up  his  position  at  Middlebrook,  nine 
miles  from  Brunswick,  and  prepared  to  prevent  the 
enemy  from  crossing  the  Delaware.  Sir  William 
Howe  led  the  British  army  from  Brunswick,  on  the 
13th  of  June,  and  took  up  a  strong  position,  secured 
by  the  Raritan  in  front,  fortified  on  the  right  at 
Brunswick,  and  on  the  left  by  the  Millstone.  He 
made  this  arrangement  to  provoke  a  general  action  ; 
but  Washington  would  not  risk  it,  or  be  allured  from 
his  prudent  reserve.  Howe  then  returned  with  his 
entire  army  to  Brunswick,  and  soon  departed  for 
Amboy.  Three  regiments  under  Greene  pursued 
him  to  Piscataway,  and  Washington  advanced  against 
the  enemy  to  Quibbletown.  Being  thus  drawn  from 
his  strong  post,  Howe  attempted  to  turn  the  American 
left,  and  with  this  intention  made  a  sudden  march  to 
Westfield.  Washington  defeated  this  movement  by 
marching  again  to  Middlebrook,  and  skirmishes  be- 
tween the  two  armies  were  all  that  took  place. 

Sir  William  Howe  being  thus  foiled  in  drawing  on 
a  general  engagement,  abandoned  the  Jerseys,  and 
passed  over  to  Staten  Island  on  the  bridge  he  had 
constructed  at  Brunswick.  News  of  the  approach  of 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  261 

Burgoyne  to  Ticonderoga  with  a  large  force  now 
reached  Washington ;  and  he  had  been  informed 
that  preparations  to  the  same  efl'ect  were  being  made 
in  the  harbor  of  New  York.  He  was  in  great  per- 
plexity in  reference  to  the  destination  of  this  fleet, 
which  he  thought,  in  the  first  instance,  was  Phila- 
delphia. But  afterward  it  seemed  as  if  Burgoyne 
and  Howe  were  meditating  an  attack  in  concert ;  and 
he  entertained  no  doubt  that,  as  the  possession  of  the 
Hudson,  and  of  the  highway  to  the  Canadas,  was  so 
important  to  the  British,  for  the  purpose  of  cutting 
ofi'  the  Eastern  from  the  Western  States,  this  was  the 
object  of  Burgoyne's  expedition.  The  immediate 
danger,  however,  was  on  the  Hudson;  and  thither 
Washington  despatched  two  regiments,  intending  to 
follow  them  to  Peekskill,  as  soon  as  possible,  with 
the  whole  army.  When  he  ascertained  the  real 
intention  of  the  enemy,  he  advanced  to  the  highlands 
by  Morristown  and  Rampo,  and  at  Cleve  sent  Lord 
Stirling  on  to  Peekskill  with  a  division.  Just  at 
that  time  the  fleet,  having  sailed  down  the  Hook, 
stood  out  to  sea,  and  Washington  commenced  at  once 
to  return.  He  recalled  the  two  divisions  which  had 
crossed  the  Hudson  under  Sullivan  and  Stirling;  and 
marching  toward  the  Delaware,  resolved  to  watch 
the  enemy,  who  might  return  and  ascend  the  Hudson. 
It  soon  became  known  that  the  fleet  was  at  the  Capea 
of  the  Delaware.  The  American  army  proceeded 
to  Germantown,  and  the  general  went  on  to  Chester. 
It  was  still  uncertain  what  course  Howe  intended  to 
take,  after  the  fleet  had  left  the  Capes.  It  was  sup- 
posed to  be  destined  for  the  Hudson,  or  perhaps  to 


262  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

co-operate  with  Burgoyne  in  an  invasion   of  New 
England. 

"Washington  now  visited  Philadelphia  to  confer 
with  committees  of  Congress ;  and  there  he  met,  for 
the  first  time,  the  Marquis  Lafayette,  a  young  French 
nobleman,  who  had  left  his  country  and  espoused  the 
American  cause.  This  enthusiastic  devotee  of  liberty, 
who  sacrificed  so  much  in  the  cause  of  America,  and 
obtained  such  effectual  aid  from  his  government  in 
behalf  of  the  cause  of  the  patriots  during  the  Revo- 
lution, first  waited  after  his  arrival  on  Mr.  Lowell,  the 
Chairman  of  the  Committee  for  Foreign  Affairs.  So 
many  foreigners  had  already  requested  employment 
from  Congress,  that  Mr.  Lowell,  to  whom  Lafayette 
had  presented  a  letter,  gave  him  little  encouragement. 
But  when  it  became  known  that  the  young  nobleman 
offered  both  to  serve  at  his  own  expense,  and  also  as 
a  volunteer,  his  tender  was  accepted  :  he  was  received, 
and  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major-general  in  the 
American  army.  The  commander-in-chief  was  soon 
afterward  expected  to  arrive  in  Philadelphia,  and  La- 
fayette thought  he  would  delay,  and  have  an  inter- 
view with  him  previous  to  going  to  head-quarters. 
At  a  dinner-party,  where  several  members  of  Con- 
gress were  present,  Lafayette  first  met  Washington, 
who  spoke  to  him  in  a  complimentary  manner,  in- 
vited him  to  the  camp,  and  wished  him  to  consider 
himself  as  one  of  his  own  family.  He  could  not  offer 
him  the  luxuries  of  a  court  or  capital  such  as  he  had 
left ;  but,  as  he  "had  become  an  American  soldier,  he 
would  no  doubt  adapt  himself  to  the  usages  and  pri- 
vations of  a  republican  army.  Lafayette  was  pleased 


OP    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  263 

with  the  warmth  of  his  reception ;  his  equipage  and 
horses  were  at  once  sent  to  the  camp,  and  he  became 
one  of  the  family  of  the  general,  with  whom  he  ever 
afterward  maintained  the  most  faithful  and  affection- 
ate friendship.  In  a  few  days  he  accompanied  Wash- 
ington in  his  inspection  of  some  defences  on  the 
Delaware. 

It  was  supposed  that  the  British  fleet  had  sailed  to 
Charleston,  as  no  information  was  received  respect- 
ing it  during  ten  days.  Intelligence  soon  arrived, 
however,  that  it  was  in  the  Chesapeake,  and  had  as- 
cended two  hundred  miles  from  its  mouth.  The 
design  of  Sir  William  Howe  now  became  apparent. 
The  American  troops  were  therefore  all  recalled  from 
New  Jersey,  and  collected  at  Philadelphia.  To  en- 
courage the  friends  and  dishearten  the  enemies  of  the 
patriot  cause,  Washington  marched  his  whole  army 
through  the  city.  Indifferently  dressed  as  they  were, 
in  order  to  make  a  more  uniform  appearance,  they 
affixed  sprigs  of  green  to  their  hats.  Washington, 
accompanied  by  Lafayette,  rode  at  the  head  of  his 
troops.  The  long  column  of  the  army,  with  its  various 
brigades,  divisions,  pioneers,  officers,  the  cavalry  and 
the  artillery,  presented  a  formidable  appearance  to  eyes 
unused  to  scenes  of  martial  splendor ;  while  the  thrill- 
ing fife  and  drum  aroused  the  slumbering  echoes  of 
the  peaceful  city.  The  troops  continued  their  march , 
to  Wilmington.  Washington  established  his  head- 
quarters at  the  confluence  of  Christiana  Creek  and 
the  Brandywine.  His  army  was  encamped  on  the 
adjacent  heights.  The  British  had  landed  at  a  spot 
below  the  head  of  the  Elk,  now  called  Elkton.  The 


264  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

pickets  of  the  American  troops  advanced  as  far  as 
Christiana  bridge,  while  the  main  body  lay  at  Red 
Clay  Creek.  In  some  skirmishing  which  ensued,  the 
Americans  had  the  advantage,  and  took  about  sixty 
prisoners. 

After  the  landing  of  his  men  and  artillery,  Sir 
William  Howe  attempted  to  outflank  the  American 
right.  Washington  therefore  crossed  the  Brandy- 
wine,  and  took  possession  of  the  heights  near  Chadd's 
Ford.  His  right  wing  was  so  posted  as  to  guard  the 
fords  above,  and  the  left  was  two  miles  below.  On 
the  llth  of  September,  1777,  at  daybreak,  the  British 
general  divided  his  army  into  two  columns.  The  first, 
under  Knyphausen,  advanced  direct  to  Chadd's  Ford; 
the  other,  under  Cornwallis,  with  the  general,  ad- 
vanced on  the  Lancaster  road.  On  the  approach  of 
Knyphausen  a  sharp  contest  took  place  between 
General  Maxwell,  who  commanded  the  light  troops, 
and  the  enemy;  after  which  the  columns  of  the  latter 
passed  on,  and  Maxwell  was  compelled  to  retire. 
Knyphausen  made  no  attempt  to  cross  the  ford,  but 
his  artillery  kept  up  a  heavy  fire,  which  was  vigor- 
ously returned.  Skirmishing  continued  to  take  place ; 
and  Knyphausen  desired  to  keep  the  Americans  em- 
ployed in  front,  until  they  should  be  attacked  in  the 
rear  and  right  flank  by  Cornwallis.  The  crossings  of 
the  river  had  been  guarded  above  Chadd's  Ford  for 
about  seven  miles ;  and  Washington,  who  suspected 
the  real  design  of  Cornwallis,  now  waited  in  anxiety 
for  the  patrols  whom  he  had  sent  to  watch  the  road  to 
the  fords.  About  noon  he  learned  by  a  messenger 
from  Sullivan,  that  a  large  body  of  the  enemy  had 


OP    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  265 

been  seen  on  their  march  in  the  direction  of  the  upper 
crossings.  Other  information  was  obtained,  before 
the  order  was  carried  into  effect  for  Sullivan  to  cross 
and  engage  that  column,  while  "Washington  proceeded 
to  attack  Knyphausen  in  front. 

About  two  o'clock,  however,  it  became  evident 
that  Cornwallis  had  made  a  compass  of  no  less  than 
seventeen  miles,  and  had  thus  crossed  two  branches 
of  the  Brandywine  above  the  fork  ;  had  reached  Sul- 
livan's right  flank,  or  within  two  miles  of  it ;  and  had 
obtained  possession  of  the  rising  ground  near  Bir- 
mingham meeting-house.  Sullivan,  who  had  three 
divisions  under  him,  Stephen's  and  Stirling's  beside 
his  own,  now  prepared  for  battle  with  all  possible 
haste ;  but  too  little  time  was  allowed  to  form  in 
complete  array,  before  Cornwallis  assailed  him  with 
full  force ;  and  having  broken  the  American  line, 
thre  ,v  the  rest  into  disorder  and  put  them  to  the  rout. 
Those  who  afterward  rallied,  and  made  a  gallant  resist- 
ance, were  again  put  to  flight  by  the  greatly  superior 
numbers  of  the  enemy.  Knyphausen  now  crossed  the 
river,  and  attacked  the  American  intrenchments  at 
Chadd's  Ford,  where  he  was  opposed  by  Col.  "Wayne, 
who  fought  with  unusual  bravery.  But  although  he 
made  a  heroic  stand  at  the  head  of  his  division,  he 
was  not  able  to  cope  with  the  overwhelming  weight 
and  impetus  of  an  entire  army.  General  Greene 
covered  Sullivan's  retreat,  and  having  seized  a  pass  a 
mile  from  Dilworth,  he  resisted  the  advance  of  the 
enemy  as  long  as  day  lasted,  and  thus  checked  their 
pursuit.  He  had  taken  up  a  central  position  between 
Chadd's  Ford  and  the  place  at  which  Sullivan  was 
23 


266  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

engaged,  so  as  to  be  able  to  render  assistance  in  any 
direction  that  circumstances  might  require.  The 
firing  having  ceased,  and  the  British  having  become 
masters  of  the  field,  they  remained  on  it;  and  the 
Americans  kept  up  a  disorderly  retreat  by  different 
roads  to  Chester,  where  they  arrived  in  the  course  of 
the  night. 

As  no  regular  returns  were  ever  sent  to  Congress 
of  this  battle,  it  is  difficult  to  say  what  was  the  loss 
sustained  by  the  Americans.  The  British  general 
reported  the  American  loss  at  three  hundred  killed, 
six  hundred  wounded,  and  four  hundred  prisoners ; 
and  his  own  loss  ninety  killed,  four  hundred  and 
eighty-eight  wounded,  and  six  missing.  The  British 
force  in  this  battle  was  eighteen  thousand  men,  and 
the  American  eleven  thousand.  The  wound  which 
Lafayette  had  received,  confined  him  to  his  couch  for 
two  months.  Washington  was  obliged  to  fight  this 
battle  under  many  disadvantages.  Knowing  that 
Philadelphia  must  not  be  abandoned  without  a  strug- 
gle, and  being  well  aware  of  the  expectations  formed 
by  the  country  and  by  Congress ;  he  felt  certain  that 
a  defeat  would  be  less  injurious,  than  to  permit  the 
enemy  to  take  Philadelphia  without  an  encounter. 
Mistakes  are  likely  to  happen  in  every  engagement ; 
and  had  there  not  been  false  information  received  by 
Washington,  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  he  would 
have  struck  a  decisive  and  victorious  blow,  which 
would  have  given  a  different  aspect  to  the  state  of 
affairs.  He  retreated  to  Philadelphia  the  day  after 
the  battle,  and  encamped  near  Germantown. 

The  American  Congress,  so  far  from  feeling  de- 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  26? 

pressed  by  the  loss  on  this  occasion,  resolved  to 
increase  the  army  as  largely  and  as  promptly  as 
possible,  and  invested  "Washington  with  additional 
authority.  Fifteen  hundred  troops  were  ordered  from 
the  Hudson,  and  the  militia  of  Pennsylvania  and 
other  States  were  called  out  in  all  haste.  Washing- 
ton was  authorized  to  fill  up  the  vacancies  in  the 
army,  and  to  suspend  any  officer  whose  conduct 
would  require  it.  He  was  empowered  to  take  provi- 
sions for  the  army  within  seventy  miles  of  head-quar- 
ters, and  either  to  pay  for  the  same,  or  to  give  certifi- 
cates. There  were  a  good  many  of  the  disaffected  in 
Philadelphia,  who,  in  the  event  of  the  approach  of  an 
enemy  to  the  city,  would  be  ready  to  give  the  British 
control  of  their  property.  The  General  had  authority, 
therefore,  to  remove  such  goods  as  might  be  useful  to 
the  enemy,  or  secure  it  for  the  owners.  The  enthu 
Biasra  of  Washington  and  his  troops  was  not  damped 
by  the  result  of  the  last  battle ;  and  when  the  men 
were  refreshed  by  the  rest  of  a  day,  he  crossed  the 
Schuylkill,  and  by  the  Lancaster  road  approached  the 
left  of  the  enemy.  The  two  armies  met  within  twenty 
miles  of  the  city,  and  a  battle  would  then  have  been 
fought ;  but  a  heavy  fall  of  rain  came  on,  which  sus- 
pended hostilities. 

Without  being  followed  by  the  enemy,  Washington 
proceeded  to  Yellow  Springs,  and  at  Parker's  Ford 
passed  the  Schuylkill,  for  the  purpose  of  giving  the 
enemy  battle.  But  they  had  obtained  the  advance  of 
him  ;  and  it  was  impossible  to  overtake  them,  in  the 
present  wearied  condition  of  his  troops.  They  would 
in  all  probability  be  in  Philadelphia  on  the  same 


268  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

night.  In  the  last  partial  engagement  which  oc.  nrred 
a  few  days  before,  Washington  had  advanced  to  give 
the  enemy  battle,  as  far  as  Warren's  tavern  on  the 
Lancaster  road,  but  the  rain  again  prevented;  and 
when  the  weather  cleared,  the  Americans  were  so  de- 
ficient in  powder  as  not  to  have  a  round  left.  The 
forty  rounds  to  a  man  which  they  had  brought  with 
them  had  been  totally  destroyed ;  and  now  a  position 
was  necessary  by  which  they  could  be  defended  until 
their  arms  could  be  placed  in  order,  and  ammuni- 
tion be  procured.  While  this  purpose  was  being 
accomplished,  the  enemy  marched  from  their  posi- 
tion near  White  Horse  tavern  to  Swede's  Ford ;  and 
the  American  general  threw  himself  in  their  front,  to 
oppose  them  either  in  the  passage,  or  after  they  had 
crossed  the  river. 

Congress  now  removed  to  Lancaster,  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  thence  to  the  town  of  York.  Cornwallis 
marched  into  Philadelphia  and  took  possession  of  it 
on  the  26th.  He  was  followed  by  the  whole  body  of 
British  and  Hessian  grenadiers,  and  by  all  the  best 
troops  of  his  army.  The  long  trains  of  artillery  and 
light  dragoons,  with  martial  music  and  glittering 
arms,  made  an  imposing  appearance ;  and  formed  a 
striking  and  painful  contrast  to  the  patriot  army,  which 
had  passed  through  the  city  a  short  time  before. 

After  the  occupation  of  the  city  by  the  British, 
Lord  Howe  left  the  Chesapeake,  intending  to  take 
the  strong  defences  of  the  Delaware,  and  proceed  to 
Philadelphia.  To  assist  in  this  movement,  a  detach- 
ment of  British  troops  was  stationed  in  I^ew  Jersey, 
the  main  body  was  posted  in  Gerinantown,  then  a 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  269 

village  consisting  of  one  street ;  while  the  remainder 
of  the  troops  held  possession  of  Philadelphia.  Wash- 
ington now  conceived  the  bold  design  of  attacking 
the  British  by  surprise.  The  Skippack  or  main  road, 
was  nearly  parallel  to  the  Monatawny  or  Ridge  road, 
on  its  right.  The  largest  portion  of  the  British  troops 
was  almost  equally  divided  by  the  Skippack.  Their 
right  wing  was  commanded  by  General  Grant,  and 
lay  to  the  east  of  this  road ;  the  left  wing  extended 
to  the  west;  while  the  head-quarters  of  General  Howe 
were  in  the  rear.  Strong  detachments  with  cavalry 
covered  and  defended  the  several  wings.  The  second 
battalion  of  British  light-infantry,  with  a  train  of 
artillery,  was  stationed  two  miles  from  the  main  body 
on  the  west  of  the  road,  and  formed  the  advance.  It 
had  an  outlying  picket,  and  two  six-pounders  were 
posted  at  Allen's  house  on  Mount  Airy.  Chew's 
house,  which  stood  beyond  the  village,  and  was  about 
a  hundred  yards  east  of  the  road,  was  then  the  coun- 
try-seat of  the  Chief  Justice  of  Pennsylvania.  It  was 
a  large  substantial  stone  edifice,  with  ornamented 
grounds  around  it.  About  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
in  the  rear  of  the  light-infantry,  lay  the  fortieth  regi- 
ment of  infantry  under  Colonel  Musgrave. 

The  American  army  had  been  weakened  by  a  de- 
tachment having  been  sent  to  New  Jersey,  to  attack 
the  fortifications  at  Billingsport.  The  time,  never- 
theless, wa£>  propitious.  General  Sullivan,  with  the 
right  wing,  composed  of  his  own  division  and  that  of 
General  Wayne,  and  sustained  by  a  body  of  North 
Carolina  reserve  under  Lord  Stirling,  and  Maxwell's 
Virginia  brigades,  fianked  by  the  brigade  of  General 
28* 


270  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

Con  way,  was  ordered  to  march  down  the  Sldppack 
road,  and  attack  the  enemy's  left  wing.  The  Penn- 
sylvania militia,  under  General  Armstrong,  was  di- 
rected to  pass  along  the  Eidge  Road,  and  attack  the 
left  and  rear  of  the  enemy.  The  left  wing  of  the 
Americans,  made  up  of  Greene's  and  Stephen's  divi- 
sions, flanked  by  McDougall's  brigade,  commanded 
by  General  Greene,  were  to  enter  the  village  at  the 
market-house.  The  two  divisions  were  to  attack  the 
right  wing  of  the  enemy  in  front.  Smallwood's  divi- 
sion, made  up  of  Maryland  militia,  and  Forman's 
Jersey  brigade,  were  to  march  around  the  Old  York 
road,  and  fall  upon  them  in  the  rear.  Thus  two-thirda 
of  the  troops  were  to  assail  the  right  of  the  enemy, 
with  the  purpose  of  forcing  it.  If  this  should  be 
accomplished,  the  enemy  would  be  pushed  into  the 
Schuylkill,  or  be  compelled  to  capitulate.  The  plan 
was  skilfully  laid,  and  took  the  enemy  by  surprise. 

On  the  third  of  October,  1777,  the  American  army 
left  Matuchen  Hills  by  four  routes,  it  being  expected 
that  all  would  arrive  at  the  scene  of  action  in  time. 
The  right  wing,  accompanied  by  Washington,  reached 
Chestnut  Hill  at  break  of  day;  and  a  detachment 
from  it  attacked  Allen's  house,  and  killed  two  sen- 
tries. But  the  roll  of  a  drum  gave  the  alarm ;  and 
the  picket-guard,  after  discharging  the  six-pounders, 
fled  to  the  light-infantry  battalion,  which  was  now 
preparing  for  battle.  The  sun  rose  in  obscurity;  the 
routed  British  light-infantry,  supported  by  grenadiers, 
soon  rallied ;  and  Sullivan's  division  and  Conway'a 
brigade  joined  in  the  attack.  The  British  infantry 
fought  bravely,  then  took  to  flight,  and  abandoned 
their  artillery.  General  Wayne  pursued  them ;  and 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  271 

his  men  inflicted  fearful  retribution  on  the  fee  with 
their  bayonets,  for  their  fallen  comrades  of  the  20th 
of  September.  The  fog,  however,  was  so  dense  that, 
with  the  smoke  of  musketry  and  cannon,  the  Ameri- 
cans frequently  exchanged  shots  with  each  other  by 
mistake.  The  enemy  were  driven  from  their  encamp- 
ment, and  abandoned  their  tents  and  baggage  ;  and 
while  the  main  body  rushed  in  a  disorderly  retreat 
through  the  village,  with  Wayne  in  hot  pursuit,  Mus- 
grave  and  six  companies  of  the  fortieth  regiment  of 
the  British  took  possession  of  Chew's  house,  barri 
caded  the  doors  and  lower  windows,  and  thus  con- 
verted it  into  a  post  of  defence.  The  British  were 
then  summoned  to  surrender,  without,  effect;  and  a 
flag  accompanying  the  bearer  of  the  demand  was 
fired  on.  During  the  action  which  ensued  many  of 
the  assailants,  and  few  of  the  defenders,  were  slain ; 
but  in  consequence  of  this  delay  of  half  an  hour,  the 
divisions  and  brigades,  which  had  been  separated  by 
the  skirmishing  around  Chew's  house,  could  not 
again  be  united  to  the  main  body.  A  regiment  was 
left  to  check  the  garrison,  while  the  rear  division 
again  pressed  onward.  The  heavy  fog  still  rendered 
objects  dim  at  thirty  yards'  distance.  Washington 
could  not,  therefore,  take  any  observation,  nor  obtain 
any  information  in  reference  to  what  was  passing. 
His  original  plan  of  operations  was  only  partially 
carried  out ;  and  with  effect  merely  in  the  centre. 

Sullivan,  at  a  mile  distant  from  Chew's  house, 
being  reinforced  by  the  North  Carolina  troops,  and 
by  General  Conway's  brigade,  advanced  against  the 
enemy's  left,  which  yielded  to  his  onset.  The  left 
wing  under  Greene,  came  late  into  the  action ;  and 


272  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

ne  divisions  of  Greene  and  Stephen  were  separated, 
that  of  the  latter  being  detained  by  receiving  and 
returning  a  heavy  tire  from  Chew's  house.  General 
Greene  pressed  on  ;  drove  a  light-infantry  regiment 
before  him;  took  some  prisoners,  and  reached  the 
centre  of  the  village,  where  he  found  the  British  right 
at  the  market-house,  drawn  up  to  resist  him.  The 
enemy,  however,  gave  way,  Forman  and  Smallwood 
now  appeared  on  the  right  flank ;  and  the  American 
troops  seemed  on  the  point  of  taking  the  whole  force 
of  the  enemy.  But  a  mysterious  panic  seized  the 
troops  at  that  moment.  Washington,  in  a  letter  to 
his  brother,  says:  "If  it  had  not  been  for  a  thick  fog, 
which  rendered  it  so  dark  at  times  that  we  were  not 
able  to  distinguish  friend  from  foe  at  the  distance  of 
thirty  yards,  we  should,  I  believe,  have  made  a  deci- 
sive and  glorious  day  of  it:  But  Providence  designed 
otherwise ;  for  after  we  had  driven  the  enemy  a  mile 
or  two,  and  after  they  were  in  the  utmost  confusion, 
and  flying  before  us  in  most  places;  after  we  were 
upon  the  point,  as  it  appeared  to  everybody,  of  grasp- 
ing a  complete  victory,  our  own  troops  fled  with  pre- 
cipitation and  disorder.  How  to  account  for  this  I 
know  not;  unless,  as  I  before  observed,  the  fog  repre- 
sented their  own  friends  to  them  for  a  reinforcement 
of  the  enemy,  as  we  attacked  in  different  quarters  at 
the  same  time,  and  were  about  closing  the  wings  of 
our  army  when  this  happened." 

The  enemy  having  recovered  from  their  surprise, 
and  the  left  wing  being  brought  up  by  General  Grey, 
pressed  the  Americans  as  they  retreated.  Cormvallis 
then  joined  the  pursuit  with  a  squadron  of  light-horse 
from  Philadelphia.  The  Americans  withdrew  in  good 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  273 

order,  caraying  off  all  their  cannon  and  wounded. 
General  Greene  kept  up  a  fighting  retreat  for  several 
miles ;  General  Wajme  turned  his  cannon  frequently 
on  the  enemy,  and  Drought  his  troops  to  a  stand  near 
"White  Marsh. 

The  loss  of  the  British  in  this  battle  was  seventy- 
one  killed,  four  hundred  and  fifteen  wounded,  and 
fifteen  missing.  The  American  loss  was  one  hundred 
and  fifty  killed,  five  hundred  and  twenty-one  wounded, 
and  about  four  hundred  taken  prisoners.  During  the 
engagement  Washington  exhibited  the  coolest  cou- 
rage, exposing  himself  to  the  hottest  fire  of  the  enemy 
in  the  most  daring  manner.  Though  the  Americans 
lost  the  victory  in  this  conflict,  it  is  said  that  the  im- 
pression which  this  bold  attempt  produced  on  the 
British,  was  greater  than  that  of  any  event  which 
transpired  in  the  war  since  the  battles  of  Lexington 
and  Bunker  Hill.  The  struggle  had  an  effect  even 
in  France ;  procured  a  compliment  for  General  Wash- 
ington from  the  Count  de  Vergeunes ;  and  exerted 
no  small  influence  in  obtaining  the  valuable  assist- 
ance rendered  ultimately  by  France  to  the  United 
States.  This  battle  had  also  the  effect  of  raising  the 
spirits  of  the  army,  and  of  animating  the  hopes  of 
the  nation  ;  inspiring  the  people  with  confidence  in 
the  valor  of  the  troops,  and  in  the  ability  of  their 
commander.  The  British  forces  afterward  compelled 
the  Americans  to  evacuate  all  the  fortified  posts  on 
the  Delaware.  The  brave  defence  of  Fort  Mifflin  and 
Red  Bank  on  that  river,  continued  for  six  weeks;  was 
followed  by  the  evacuation  of  these  places ;  and  the 
British  fleet  then  sailed  in  triumph  to  Philadelphia. 

8 


274  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE    AMERICAN    CAMP    AT   WHITE    MARSH  —  WINTER   ENCAMPMENT   AT 

VALLEY  FORGE SPURIOUS   LETTERS  —  ORIGIN,  DEVELOPMENT,  AND 

CONCLUSION  OF  THE  CONWAT  CABAL THE  LOYALTY  OF  LAFAYETTE — 

THE  MAGNANIMITY  OF  WASHINGTON — RELIANCE  OF  THE  GENERAL  ON 
THE  GOD  OF  ARMIES AN  AFFECTING  INCIDENT. 

AFTER  the  battle  of  Germantown  Washington 
established  himself  in  a  strong  position  at  White 
Marsh ;  and  dispatched  General  Greene  with  a  body 
of  troops  to  oppose  Cornwallis,  who  was  attempting 
to  reduce  Fort  Mercer,  at  Red  Bank.  In  a  skirmish 
which  took  place  at  Gloucester  Point,  Lafayette  highly 
distinguished  himself.  Greene  joined  the  army  at 
White  Marsh,  as  the  enemy  had  crossed  over  to  the 
city.  The  surrender  of  Burgoyne,  which  had  taken 
place  in  the  meanwhile,  had  allowed  reinforcements 
to  be  sent  from  the  Northern  army ;  and  Morgan's 
riflemen,  with  some  of  the  New  Hampshire  troops, 
joined  Washington's  camp.  Sir  William  Howe  ad- 
vanced as  far  as  Chestnut  Hill  qn  the  4th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1777,  within  three  miles  of  the  American  camp. 
His  force  consisted  of  twelve  thousand  men ;  and  as 
he  had  been  lately  reinforced,  he  deemed  this  a  pro- 
pitious time  to  try  the  hazard  of  a  battle.  He  thought 
that  the  American  general  would  afford  him  some 
advantage  for  an  attack ;  but  Washington  persisted 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  275 

in  waiting  for  him  to  commence  operations,  and  he 
retired  at  last  to  Philadelphia,  having  lost  in  skir- 
mishing sixty-three  men  wounded,  twenty  killed,  and 
twenty-three  missing. 

It  now  "began  to  grow  cold,  and  the  increased  rigor 
of  the  season  rendered  it  necessary  for  the  Americana 
to  enter  winter  quarters.  The  men  were  not  only 
poorly  provided  with  clothes  and  shoes,  but  in  many 
instances  were  destitute  of  provisions  and  forage; 
arising  from  the  fact  that  many  persons  refused  to 
sell  provisions  to  the  Americans,  either  through  fear 
of  the  enemy,  through  disaffection,  or  from  their  want 
of  confidence  in  the  certificates  issued  by  Congress. 
It  grieved  Washington  to  be  obliged  to  exercise  the 
authority  vested  in  him,  not  only  because  he  re- 
spected the  cultivators  of  the  soil,  but  also  because 
he  knew  it  to  be  bad  policy  to  alarm  the  inhabitants 
of  a  peaceful  country ;  as  well  as  on  account  of  the 
demoralizing  influence  which  such  a  course  would 
produce  upon  the  army.  In  a  letter  addressed  to  the 
President  of  Congress  he  alluded  to  his  embarrassed 
position,  and  his  knowledge  of  the  jealousy  which 
existed  against  the  exercise  of  military  power.  He 
promises  that  no  exertions  will  be  wanting  on  his 
part  to  provide  his  own  troops  with  supplies,  and  at 
the  same  time  to  keep  them  from  being  used  by  the 
enemy;  and  that  it  was  his  wish  that  the  different 
States,  of  their  own  accord,  might  see  the  importance 
of  maintaining  the  troops  and  furnishing  supplies. 

In  a  council  of  war  which  was  summoned,  each 
member  set  forth  his  opinion  in  writing;  and  there 
were  widely  differing  views  taken  by  the  officers  aa 


276  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

to  the  best  method  of  disposing  the  army  during  the 
ensuing  winter.  The  general  therefore  determined 
to  act  upon  his  own  judgment,  and  to  construct  a 
fortified  encampment.  The  spot  selected  for  this 
purpose  was  Valley  Forge,  about  twenty  miles  distant 
from  Philadelphia.  The  place  lay  between  ridges  of 
hills  and  the  Schuylkill,  the  ground  being  woody. 
"Washington  examined  it  himself,  and  his  practised 
eye  designated  the  localities  appropriate  to  each  divi- 
sion of  the  army.  On  the  18th  of  December  the  troops 
were  marched  thither,  and  preparations  were  made 
for  their  accommodation.  The  place  which  was  then 
selected  they  retained  till  the  succeeding  June.  In- 
trenchments  on  the  land  side  surrounded  the  entire 
encampment ;  and  its  communication  with  the  coun- 
try beyond  the  river  was  efl'ected  by  a  bridge  con- 
structed across  it.  The  main  body  of  the  army  was 
ordered  to  remain  there ;  but  a  detachment  was  sent 
to  Wilmington  to  protect  Delaware  from  the  hostile 
incursions  of  the  enemy. 

This  encampment  presented  a  curious  aspect,  but 
was  exceedingly  simple.  Huts,  each  sixteen  feet  by 
fourteen,  were  erected  of  timber,  which  was  squared, 
the  logs  being  laid  one  on  the  other.  The  huts  were 
placed  in  parallel  lines,  and  presented  the  appearance 
of  a  town  in  some  places,  in  which  the  troops  from 
one  State  occupied  one  street  or  avenue,  and  those 
from  a  different  State  another.  A  general  officer 
occupied  a  hut  exclusively ;  and  in  proportion  to  their 
rank,  a  number  of  officers  had  one  hut.  One  of  these 
structures  was  allowed  to  twelve  privates.  Although 
Washington  was  now  denying  himself  the  pleasures 


OF    QEORGE    WASHINGTON.  277 

of  a  temporary  retirement  from  his  harassing  duties ; 
while  from  his  zeal  for  the  public  good,  he  undertook 
to  lead  the  armies  of  his  country,  and  fight  her  bat- 
tles ;  a  plan  was  laid  by  his  open  and  secret  enemies 
to  blast  his  influence  and  destroy  his  character.  The 
first  attempt  of  this  kind  was  made  by  means  of  cer- 
tain spurious  letters,  said  to  have  been  written  by 
General  Washington,  in  the  summer  of  1776,  to  Mrs. 
Washington,  Mr.  Custis,  and  Lund  Washington,  his 
steward.  It  was  asserted  that,  on  the  evacuation  of 
Fort  Lee,  "Billy,"  a  servant  of  Washington,  was  left 
behind  in  ill  health ;  and  that  he  gave  a  portmanteau 
belonging  to  his  master  into  the  keeping  of  an 
officer,  who  found  these  letters  in  it,  and  sent  them 
to  England,  where  they  were  published.  They  were 
reprinted  in  New  York,  and  distributed  largely  in 
handbills ;  and  one  of  them,  published  on  the  14th  of 
February,  appeared  in  extracts  in  a  Philadelphia 
paper.  Except  to  his  friends  in  private,  Washington 
took  no  notice  of  these  letters  at  the  time ;  but  he 
afterward,  in  a  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  State,  de- 
clared they  were  false  and  fabricated.  Their  design 
and  execution  were  remarkably  ingenious,  and  they 
mingled  truth  with  falsehood  so  adroitly  as  to  give 
them,  an  air  of  genuineness  to  those  unacquainted 
with  Washington's  character.  But,  whatever  effect 
they  may  have  produced  in  England,  they  could  do 
him  no  injury  with  Americans,  who  knew  him  too 
well  to  believe  him  capable  of  writing  them.  In 
fact,  the  letters  carried  with  them  their  own  refu- 
tation ;  for  they  insinuated  that  Washington  was 
secretly  opposed  to  independence,  and  to  the  sepa- 
24 


278  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

ration  of  the  colonies  from  Great  Britain.  The  real 
author  of  these  letters  was  never  discovered ;  and  the 
servant  of  "Washington  referred  to  had  never  been  at 
Fort  Lee ;  but  the  individual  who  wrote  them,  with 
so  much  skill,  it  is  supposed  extracted  portions  of 
genuine  letters  of  Washington  which  had  been  inter- 
cepted, and  mixed  them  with  his  own  composition. 
"While  the  design  of  the  author  was  self-evident, 
"Washington  truly  remarked :  "It  is  no  easy  matter 
to  decide  whether  the  villany  or  the  artifice  of  these 
letters  is  the  greatest."  The  individual  who  became 
most  prominently  identified  with  this  disgraceful 
affair,  and  who  obtained  the  unenviable  notoriety  of 
having  it  pass  under  his  name,  was  General  Conway; 
and  the  cabal  in  question  is  now  known,  and  has  be- 
come historical,  by  the  name  of  "  Conway's  cabal." 
Beside  General  Con  way,  who  was  an  Irishman  by 
birth,  had  been  in  the  French  service,  and  prided 
himself  on  his  thirty  years'  experience,  Generals  Gates 
and  Mifflin  were  also  implicated  in  the  conspiracy, 
as  well  as  several  members  of  Congress. 

When  General  Gates  obtained  his  victory  over 
Burgoyne,  he  had  not  the  civility  to  inform  the 
coniinander-in-chief  of  that  event ;  and  this  mark  of 
disrespect  to  the  general  whom  they  had  chosen  to 
conduct  their  armies,  was  passed  over  without  cen- 
sure by  Congress.  This  circumstance  affords  a  proof 
that  the  cabal  had  some  influence  among  its  members. 
Another  evidence  of  this  fact  was  the  institution  of  a 
new  Board  of  War,  of  which  General  Gates  was 
president,  and  Conway  and  MifHin  members.  This 
board  was  invested  with  extensive  powers ;  many  of 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  279 

its  most  important  functions  were  not  only  indepen- 
dent of  Washington,  but  appointed  with  the  evident 
purpose  of  sapping  the  foundations  of  his  authority, 
and  securing  his  downfall.  Gates  and  Mifflin  had 
both  been  professed  friends  of  "Washington ;  and 
through  him  the  former  had,  in  a  great  degree,  ob- 
tained his  appointment.  At  the  organization  of  the 
first  continental  army,  Gates  had  desired  the  com- 
mand of  a  brigade,  and  Mifflin  that  of  a  regiment. 
Both  were  refused,  because  their  offices  required 
their  whole  time,  which  they  were  reluctant  to  give  to 
the  service.  Cambridge  was  the  spot  where  the  first 
signs  of  their  discontent  began  to  be  manifest.  At 
that  period  Gates  was  adjutant-general,  with  the  rank 
of  brigadier ;  Mifflin  was  aide-de-camp  to  the  general, 
who  appointed  him  quartermaster-general,  with  the 
rank  of  colonel.  When  the  army  left  Cambridge, 
Gates  employed  all  his  influence,  but  in  vain,  to 
obtain  a  separate  arid  independent  command. 

Conway  eventually  obtained  his  just  reward.  In  a 
duel  fought  subsequently  with  an  American  officer, 
he  was  wounded,  and  as  he  supposed  mortally.  He 
then  wrote  to  General  Washington  as  follows :  "  My 
career  will  soon  be  over ;  therefore  justice  and  truth 
prompt  me  to  declare  my  last  sentiments.  You  are, 
in  my  eyes,  the  great  and  good  man.  May  you  long 
enjoy  the  love,  veneration,  and  esteem  of  these 
States,  whose  liberties  you  have  asserted  by  your 
virtues."  He  recovered  of  his  wound,  however,  and 
then  went  to  France,  leaving  an  unenviable  reputa- 
tion behind  him.  An  affecting  incident  is  related  of 
Washington  at  this  gloomy  period,  which  shows  hia 


THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

pious  trust  in  the  Supreme  Being.  Though  often 
narrated,  it  deserves  again  to  be  repeated.  "Isaac 
Potts,  at  whose  house  Washington  was  quartered, 
relates  that  one  day,  while  the  Americans  were'  en- 
camped at  Valley  Forge,  he  strolled  up  the  creek; 
when  not  far  from  his  dam  he  heard  a  solemn  voice. 
He  walked  quietly  in  the  direction  of  it,  and  saw 
Washington's  horse  tied  to  a  sapling.  In  a  thicket 
near  by  was  the  beloved  chief  upon  his  knees  in 
prayer,  his  cheeks  suffused  with  tears.  Like  Moses 
at  the  bush,  Isaac  felt  that  he  was  upon  holy  ground, 
and  withdrew  unobserved.  He  was  much  agitated, 
and  on  entering  the  room  where  his  wife  was,  he  burst 
into  tears.  On  her  inquiring  the  cause,  he  informed 
her  of  what  he  had  seen,  and  added :  '  If  there  is  any 
one  on  this  earth  whom  the  Lord  will  listen  to,  it  is 
George  Washington  ;  and  I  feel  a  presentiment  thai 
under  such  a  commander  there  can  be  no  doubt  of 
our  eventually  establishing  our  independence, 
that  God  in  his  providence  has  willed  it  so.'  " 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  281 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

SUFFERINGS   OP   THE    ARMY   AT   VALLEY   FORGE  —  BARON    STEUBEN — 
TREATY    WITH    FRANCE  —  "CONCILIATORY   BILLS "    OF   LORD   NORTH 

—  SIR     WILLIAM     HOWE     SUCCEEDED     BY     SIR     HENRY     CLINTON  — 
PEACE     COMMISSIONERS  —  THEIR     RECEPTION     AND     DEPARTURE  — 
THE   BRITISH    EVACUATE    PHILADELPHIA — THEIR   MARCH   THROUGH 
THE     JERSEYS BATTLE    OF     MONMOUTH CONDUCT     AND     COURT- 
MARTIAL   OF   GENERAL   LEE — ARRIVAL    OF    THE    COUNT    D7ESTAIN(J 

—  OPERATIONS   OF    THE    ALLIES   AGAINST    NEWPORT  —  ITS   FAILURE, 
AND   THE    RESULT  —  CAMPAIGN    OF    1779  —  THE    MASSACRE   OF    WYO- 
MING    AVENGED  —  ARRIVAL     OF     THE     FRENCH     FLEET     UNDER     DB 
TERNAY,    AND   ARMY    UNDER   COUNT    DE    ROCHAMBEAU. 

THE  American  array  suffered  severely  during  the 
winter  spent  at  Valley  Forge.  The  march  to  that 
place  was  attended  with  much  difficulty  to  the  sol- 
diers, many  of  whom  marked  the  frozen  ground  with 
the  blood  of  their  lacerated  feet.  Clothing  was  ill 
provided;  and  when  it  was  announced  that  a  foraging 
party  of  the  British  were  about  to  ravage  the  country, 
and  several  regiments  were  ordered  to  b«  ready  to 
attack  them,  it  was  found  that  they  had  no  provi- 
sions, and  a  dangerous  mutiny  was  on  tb«  point  of 
breaking  out.  To  remedy  this  evil,  parties  were  sent 
out  to  collect  provisions,  and  orders  were  given  to 
procure  them  wherever  they  could  be  obtained,  to 
supply  the  pressing  wants  of  the  army.  The  same 
exigency  existed  several  times  during  the  winter; 
24* 


282  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

and  "Washington  had  occasion  to  observe  that,  "  for 
some  days  there  has  been  little  less  than  a  famine  in 
the  camp.  A  part  of  the  army  have  been  a  week 
•without  any  kind  of  flesh,  and  the  rest  three  or  four 
days.  .Naked  and  starving  as  they  are,  we  cannot 
enough  admire  the  incomparable  patience  and  fidelity 
of  the  soldiery,  that  they  have  not  been,  ere  this,  ex- 
cited by  their  sufferings  to  a  general  mutiny  and 
dispersion.  Strong  symptoms,  however,  of  discontent 
have  appeared  in  particular  instances;  and  nothing 
but  the  most  active  efforts  everywhere  can  long  avert 
BO  shocking  a  catastrophe." 

At  that  time  blankets  were  so  scarce,  that  many  of 
the  soldiers  were  compelled  to  sit  up  all  night  at  the 
fires.  They  were  destitute  of  that  covering  which 
should  have  kept  them  comfortable  while  they  slept. 
But  this  was  not  all.  They  wanted,  in  many  cases, 
decent  clothing  to  leave  their  huts.  The  officers  also, 
though  not  so  poorly  provided,  suffered  great  hard- 
ships. The  whole  number  in  the  field,  when  the 
army  came  into  the  encampment,  was  eleven  thou- 
sand and  ninety-eight.  Two  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  ninety-eight  of  these  were  unfit  for  duty,  from 
want  of  shoes  and  clothing.  Yet,  in  this  deplorable 
condition  of  the  army,  there  were  some  who  thought 
there  should  have  been  a  winter  campaign,  and 
looked  upon  the  army  and  its  commander  as  inac- 
tive. Washington,  in  a  statement  made  to  Congress, 
represented  the  real  condition  of  the  army,  and  ad- 
ministered a  rebuke  to  those  who  had  presumed  to 
remark  on  the  inactivity  of  the  troops :  "  I  can  assure 
those  gentlemen,  that  it  is  a  much  easier  and  less 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  283 

distressing  thing  to  draw  remonstrances  in  a  com- 
fortable room  by  a  good  fireside,  than  to  occupy  a 
cold,  bleak  hill,  and  sleep  under  frost  and  snow,  with- 
out clothes  or  blankets.  However,  although  they 
eeern  to  have  little  feeling  for  the  naked  and  dis- 
tressed soldiers,  I  feel  superabundantly  for  them ; 
and  from  my  soul  I  pity  those  miseries,  which  it  is 
neither  in  my  power  to  relieve  nor  prevent." 

Washington's  first  care  now  was  to  supply  the 
pressing  wants  of  the  army.  The  chief  cause  of  the 
famine  was  not  in  the  absolute  scarcity,  but  in  the 
mismanagement  of  the  affairs  of  the  commissariat  de- 
partment. Congress  having  interfered  with  the  mat- 
ter, Colonel  Trumbull,  a  gentleman  of  ability,  who 
had  charge  of  the  department,  indignantly  resigned; 
and  things  fell  into  still  greater  confusion.  A  new 
system  of  arrangement  was  now  absolutely  necessary ; 
and  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  Washington,  a  com- 
mittee of  five,  who  were  termed  the  "  committee  of 
arrangement,"  was  appointed  to  investigate  the  affairs 
of  the  army,  and  to  assist  the  general  in  adopting 
the  new  system.  The  pay  of  the  officers  was  found 
to  be  insufficient  for  their  subsistence;  and  it  was 
ascertained  that,  for  want  of  straw  or  materials  to 
protect  them  from  the  wet  earth,  many  of  the  troops 
had  lost  their  lives.  The  army  was  in  a  more  critical 
condition  than  when  it  lay  before  Boston ;  and  a 
night  attack  upon  it  might  have  been  fatal. 

While  the  Americans  suffered  greatly  from  want 
of  food  and  clothing,  the  British  troops  passed  the 
winter  sumptuously  in  Philadelphia.  An  attempt 
was  made  to  capture  Henry  Lee,  where  he  was  sta- 


284  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

tioned  at  an  advanced  post.  But  he  distinguished 
himself  by  his  great  valor,  won  the  praises  of  the  com- 
mander-in-chief,  and  on  his  recommendation  to  Con- 
gress he  was  appointed  commander  of  two  troops  of 
horse,  with  the  rank  of  major.  Mrs.  Washington  now 
returned  to  Valley  Forge,  as  also  did  Lady  Stirling, 
Mrs.  Knox,  and  the  wives  of  other  officers.  Some 
misunderstanding  having  arisen  in  reference  to  the 
embarkation  of  the  troops  of  General  Burgoyne  from 
Boston,  Congress  resolved  not  to  permit  the  embarka- 
tion till  it  should  receive  the  ratification  of  the  con- 
vention from  the  court  of  Great  Britain.  Bryan  Fair- 
fax, the  old  friend  of  Washington,  visited  the  American 
camp,  when  on  his  way  to  England.  The  general  was 
glad  to  see  him,  though  they  differed  fundamentally 
in  their  views  respecting  the  war.  Baron  Steuben, 
who  had  served  in  the  army  of  Frederick  the  Great, 
came  to  the  camp  to  offer  his  services,  and  was  soon 
appointed  inspector-general  of  the  army.  He  ren- 
dered valuable  aid  to  the  troops,  though  he  often 
became  enraged  at  them ;  and  the  rigid  discipline  to 
which  he  subjected  them  was  exceedingly  useful, 
though  irksome. 

General  Putnam  had  made  a  survey  of  the  high- 
lands of  the  Hudson,  and  West  Point  had  been 
selected  as  an  eligible  site  for  the  erection  of  a  forti- 
fication. Major-General  McDougall,  with  Kosci- 
uszko  to  assist  him  as  engineer,  was  ordered  to  take 
the  command  of  the  different  highland  posts.  Briga- 
dier-General Parsons,  who  had  been  previously  in 
command,  was  now  directed  to  seize  on  the  person 
of  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  who  lived  at  the  Kennedy 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  285 

Louse,  near  the  Battery,  and  not  far  off  the  Hudson. 
The  attempt  was  never  made,  in  consequence  of  the 
wise  suggestion  of  Alexander  Hamilton,  that  they 
knew  the  feeble  disposition  and  abilities  of  Clinton, 
but  did  not  know  those  of  his  successor,  who  might 
be  an  abler  and  more  formidable  man.  The  idea  was 
therefore  abandoned. 

The  capture  of  Burgoyne  and  his  army  had  a 
powerful  effect  in  England  and  France.  The  former 
feared  that  France  was  about  to  take  up  arms  in  the 
American  cause ;  in  consequence  of  which  apprehen- 
sion Lord  North's  "conciliatory  bills"  were  passed 
in  Parliament.  One  of  these  regulated  taxation  in 
such  a  way  as  was  thought  might  be  acceptable  to 
the  colonies ;  the  other  clothed  commissioners  with 
full  power  to  negotiate  a  peace.  General  Tryon  has- 
tened with  these  bills  to  Washington,  who  sent  them 
to  Congress,  with  the  just  remark,  that  the  time  for 
overtures  was  past.  The  bills  were  in  favor  of  peace ; 
but  it  was  agreed  there  could  be  no  peace  till  all  the 
hostile  fleets  and  armies  were  withdrawn,  and  an 
acknowledgment  made,  in  express  terms,  of  the  in- 
dependence of  the  United  States.  On  the  2d  of  May, 
1778,  a  messenger  arrived  from  France,  bearing  two 
treaties,  one  of  which  stipulated  that  should  war 
occur  b^ween  France  and  England,  it  should  b.e  an 
agreement  between  the  contracting  parties,  that  nei- 
ther of  them  should  proclaim  the  war  without  the 
concurrence  of  the  other;  and  that,  should  a  war 
take  place,  neither  should  lay  down  their  arms  before 
the  establishment  of  the  independence  of  the  United 
States.  There  was  great  rejoicing  at  Valley  Forge  at 


286  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

the  receipt  of  this  news,  and  shouts  of  "long  live 
the  King  of  France,"  "  long  live  General  "Washing- 
ton," reverberated  around  the  tottering  huts  of  the 
destitute  hut  heroic  troops.  The  enthusiasm  was  im- 
mense, and  proclaimed  Washington  to  he  the  idol  of 
the  soldiery.  On  the  8th  a  council  of  war  decreed 
that  they  should  remain  on  the  defensive,  and  not 
attempt  offensive  measures  without  an  opportunity 
of  striking  some  decisive  hlow. 

Sir  William  Howe  had  now  finished  his  military 
career,  and  was  superseded  by  Sir  Henry  Clinton, 
who  took  the  command  on  the  18th  of  May.  Howe 
was  a  man  of  amiable  and  engaging  manners.  He 
held  an  extraordinary  pageant  at  Philadelphia,  a 
kind  of  regatta  and  tournament,  at  which  the  un- 
fortunate Major  Andre  performed  a  conspicuous  part. 
The  British  force  in  Philadelphia  at  that  period 
amounted  to  nineteen  thousand  five  hundred  and 
thirty  men.  When  Clinton  took  the  command,  in- 
dications were  exhibited  of  the  evacuation  of  Phila- 
delphia. To  watch  the  movements  of  the  enemy, 
Lafayette  was  sent  with  twenty-one  hundred  horse. 
Crossing  the  Schuylkill  on  the  18th  of  May,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  Barren  Hill;  and  either  by  the  carelessness 
or  treachery  of  a  picquet,  was  nearly  surrounded  by 
a  force  sent  out  to  intercept  him.  He  saw  their  pur- 
pose, and  threw  out  small  parties  to  show  themselves 
at  different  portions  of  the  wood,  as  if  he  meditated 
an  attack.  The  enemy  came  to  a  halt,  and  Lafnyette 
pushing  on,  crossed  the  Schuylkill  at  Mason's  Ford, 
and  took  up  a  strong  position  on  the  other  side.  The 
alarm  guns  at  sunrise  had  informed  Washington  of 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  287 

his  danger.  The  general  with  his  staff*  galloped  to 
the  summit  of  a  hill,  and  by  the  aid  of  his  glass,  dis- 
covered that  the  marquis  was  safe,  who,  returning  at 
length  to  Valley  Forge,  was  hailed  with  loud  accla- 
mations. An  exchange  was  effected  at  this  time  of 
General  Lee  for  General  Preston.  Lee  was  now  re- 
stored to  his  position  of  second  in  command.  Colo- 
nel Ethan  Allen  was  also  liberated  in  exchange  for 
Colonel  Campbell. 

Preparations  were  now  made  by  the  British  for  the 
evacuation  of  Philadelphia ;  and  New  York  was  un- 
derstood as  the  place  of  their  destination.  Affairs 
remained  in  suspense  during  three  weeks.  The  New 
Jersey  militia,  and  a  brigade  of  troops  under  Max- 
well, were  now  on  the  alert  to  throw  down  bridges, 
and  to  harass  the  enemy  if  they  attempted  to  march 
through  that  State ;  and  Washington  held  the  army 
in  readiness  to  march  to  the  Hudson  the  moment 
there  should  be  any  necessity  for  it.  The  British 
commissioners  arrived  in  Philadelphia  on  the  6th  of 
June,  1778 ;  but  they  were  left  in  the  dark  by  their 
own  ministry  in  reference  to  their  mission.  Orders 
had  been  given  to  evacuate  Philadelphia  three  weeks 
before  their  arrival,  and  to  fix  the  British  head-quar- 
ters at  New  York.  Yet  they  knew  nothing  of  these 
orders.  They  were,  therefore,  surprised  and  indig- 
nant. The  "  conciliatory  acts"  and  other  documents 
with  which  they  were  intrusted,  were  forwarded  to 
Congress;  and  in  the  first  reading  came  near  being 
rejected  on  account  of  some  language  disrespectful  to 
France.  In  the  reply  made  by  Congress,  they  ex- 
pressed a  willingness  to  treat  for  peace  when  the 


288  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

King  of  Great  Britain  should  evince  a  sincere  desire 
for  it  by  the  withdrawal  of  his  troops,  and  by  an  ex- 
plicit acknowledgment  of  the  independence  of  the 
United  States.  The  commissioners  made  several  at- 
tempts to  corrupt  members  of  Congress;  arid  when 
their  transactions  became  known  to  that  body,  it  was 
resolved  that  their  honor  would  not  permit  them  to 
have  anything  further  to  do  with  the  commissioners. 
They  then  attempted  to  seduce  the  general  public ; 
and  offered  to  treat  with  delegates  of  different  colo- 
nies or  provincial  assemblies.  But  all  these  efforts 
proved  to  be  futile,  and  they  at  length  returned  in 
disgust  to  England. 

The  pagacity  of  "Washington  had  been  unable  to 
account  for  the  delay  of  the  British  troops  in  evacua- 
ting Philadelphia.  His  own  army  now  consisted  of 
twelve  thousand  continentals,  and  thirteen  hundred 
militia.  That  of  the  enemy  was  reduced  by  a  detach- 
ment of  five  thousand  sent  to  the  West  Indies,  and 
three  thousand  despatched  to  Florida.  Most  of  the 
cavalry  had  been  ordered  to  New  York.  The  aid  of 
Baron  Steuben  had  been  found  of  great  importance 
to  the  Americans.  The  commander  thought  the  best 
route  was  through  the  Jerseys.  General  Lee  opposed 
this  opinion,  and  had  relapsed  into  his  former  super- 
cilious manner  of  criticizing  generals  and  military 
affairs.  Washington  called  a  council  of  war  on  the 
17th.  The  question  to  be  decided  was,  whether  the 
enemy  should  be  attacked  if  their  route  lay  through 
the  Jerseys,  or  whether  they  should  push  on  at  once 
to  the  Hudson,  and  thus  secure  the  means  of  com- 
munication between  the  Southern  and  Eastern  States; 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  289 

and  also  whether,  in  case  an  attack  was  made,  it 
should  be  a  general  or  a  partial  one.  Lee  strongly 
opposed  a  general  attack.  Greene,  Lafayette,  and 
others,  thought  the  enemy  should  be  made  to  pay  for 
all  the  sufferings  and  privations  endured  at  Valley 
Forge.  Washington  agreed  with  the  latter  opinion ; 
but  requested  each  officer  to  state  his  views  in  writing. 
The  British  had  evacuated  Philadelphia  before  this 
was  done;  the  army  moving  with  great  secrecy  on 
the  18th,  so  that  the  rear-guard  reached  the  Jersey 
shore  at  ten  o'clock.  The  first  impulse  of  Washing- 
ton was  to  send  General  Maxwell  and  his  brigade  to 
aid  the  New  Jersey  militia  in  annoying  the  enemy 
on  their  march,  and  to  despatch  Arnold  to  take  pos- 
session of  Philadelphia.  He  prepared  to  take  the 
command  of  the  main  body  in  person,  and  pursue 
the  enemy  with  all  the  celerity  possible.  He  was 
compelled  to  march  up  the  right  bank  of  the  Dela- 
ware as  far  as  Trenton,  and  to  cross  at  the  spot  ren- 
dered famous  as  that  at  which  he  had  crossed  to  attack 
the  Hessians.  On  the  20th  he  had  proceeded  as  far 
as  Coryell's  Ferry.  He  was  de  ained  by  heavy  rains, 
and  could  not  cross  until  the  24th.  The  enemy  were 
then  at  Moorestown  and  Mount  Holly ;  and  their 
march  was  slow.  Rain,  heat,  and  the  want  of  bridges, 
which  the  Americans  had  broken  down,  retarded  the 
advance  of  Sir  Henry  Clinton.  This  slowness  of 
movement  on  his  part,  induced  Washington  to  think 
that  he  wished  to  draw  him  into  an  engagement. 
Washington  determined  to  act  upon  the  opinions  of 
Greene,  Wayne,  and  Lafayette,  which  coincided  with 
his  own;  and  to  have  the  main  body  in  a  condition 
25  T 


290  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

to  fight  should  this  course  be  deemed  advisable.  Clin 
ton  marched  first  to  Brunswick,  but  as  he  thought 
the  passage  cf  the  Raritan  would  be  disputed,  he  took 
the  road  through  Freehold  to  Xavesink  and  Sandy 
Hook,  designing  to  embark  from  thence.  No  doubt 
was  then  entertained  of  the  route  of  the  British,  and 
one  thousand  men  under  "Wayne  were  ordered  to  join 
the  advance. 

"Washington  now  moved  the  main  body  of  the  army 
to  Cramberry.  Lafayette  set  out  on  the  25th  to  join 
General  Scott;  but  Lee  had  changed  his  purpose,  and 
desired,  as  the  corps  was  six  thousand  strong,  to  com- 
mand it.  Washington  did  not  know  how  to  adjust 
the  matter  without  doing  violence  to  the  feelings  of 
Lafayette.  A  change  in  the  tactics  of  Sir  Henry  gave 
an  opportunity  to  Washington  to  extricate  himself 
from  the  dilemma.  It  became  necessary  to  augment 
the  advanced  corps  in  sending  Lee  forward;  and 
therefore,  being  the  senior  officer,  he  would  neces- 
sarily take  the  command.  In  a  letter  the  general 
explained  the  matter  to  Lafayette,  and  the  marquis 
resigned  the  command. 

On  the  evening  of  the  27th  the  enemy  encamped 
at  Monmouth  Court  House.  General  Lee  was  posted 
about  five  miles  distant,  at  Englishtown.  The  main 
body  of  the  Americans  was  three  miles  in  the  rear. 
The  position  of  Sir  Henry  was  carefully  reconnoitred 
by  Washington  at  sunset.  Sir  Henry  was  well  pro- 
tected in  his  present  position ;  but  if  he  were  to  ad- 
vance to  Middletown,  he  would  be  in  a  stronger 
position  still.  This  he  determined  to  prevent ;  and  in 
order  so  to  do,  gave  orders  to  Lee  to  have  his  troops 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  291 

ready,  lying  all  night  on  their  arms,  and  to  attack  the 
rear  of  the  British  in  the  morning.  He  then  returned 
to  his  own  place  in  the  main  body ;  but  ordered  Lee 
to  send  off  a  detachment  of  seven  hundred  men  to 
watch  the  enemy's  movements,  and  to  check  them  on 
the  route. 

An  express  at  length  informed  "Washington  that 
the  British  were  in  motion.  He  ordered  Lee  to  attack 
them,  promising  that  he  would  hasten  to  support  him. 
Kuyphausen  descended  the  valley,  and  Sir  Henry 
remained  at  Freehold  Heights,  though  afterward  he 
marched  toward  Middletown.  As  Washington  ad- 
vanced, he  was  astonished  to  meet  the  whole  com- 
mand under  Lee  in  full  retreat.  This  was  an  alarm- 
ing disaster,  and  might  have  led  to  a  general  defeat. 
Washington  advanced  to  General  Lee,  and  peremp- 
torily ordered  him  to  re-form  his  troops,  and  bring 
them  again  into  action.  The  command  was  obeyed, 
and  order  was  again  restored  in  the  American  lines. 
Lord  Stirling  commanded  the  left  wing,  and  placed 
his  cannon  in  such  a  position  as  to  do  effectual  damage 
to  the  enemy.  The  right  was  placed  under  General 
Greene.  Wayne  brought  up  a  body  of  infantry.  After 
a  desperate  engagement,  night  and  darkness  put  an 
end  to  the  battle.  Washington  slept  in  his  cloak  to 
be  ready  for  action,  and  the  troops  reposed  on  their 
arms.  But  Clintou  withdrew  his  troops  in  silence, 
from  the  scene  of  his  defeat. 

.  This  battle  accomplished  much  to  inspire  the  troops 
with  new  courage.  The  British  lost  four  officers,  and 
about  three  hundred  men.  The  Americans  lost  sixty- 
nine  killed.  As  Sir  Henry  hastened  through  Jersey, 


292  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

one  hundred  were  taken  prisoners,  and  six  hundred 
deserters  reached  Philadelphia.  The  British  army 
was  thus  reduced  twelve  hundred  men.  Lord  Howe's 
fleet  was  ready  to  convey  the  troops  from  Sandy 
Hook  ;  and  Washington  having  crossed  the  Hudson, 
encamped  at  a  short  distance  from  White  Plains. 
Two  letters  written  by  General  Lee  to  the  com- 
mander at  this  time,  evinced  disrespect;  and  he  was 
subsequently  tried  by  a  court-martial  on  three  charges : 
disobedience,  misbehavior,  and  disrespect  to  the  com- 
mander. He  was  pronounced  guilty,  and  suspended 
for  one  year  from  all  command.  He  then  left  the 
army ;  and  after  some  wanderings,  returned  to  Phila- 
delphia four  years  after,  in  which  city  he  subsequently 
died. 

Before  the  army  had  crossed  the  Hudson,  news 
came  of  the  arrival  of  the  Count  d'Estaing  with  a 
French  fleet,  consisting  of  twelve  ships  of  the  line 
and  four  frigates.  Arrived  at  the  Capes  of  the  Dela- 
ware, the  count  received  information  of  the  evacua- 
tion of  Philadelphia ;  and  after  sending  a  frigate  up 
the  river,  he  sailed  for  Sandy  Hook,  where  Washing- 
ton congratulated  him  on  his  arrival,  and  planned 
with  him  a  joint  attack.  Colonel  Hamilton  was  after- 
ward sent  on  board  with  four  pilots,  to  explain  the 
views  of  the  commander  to  the  count.  The  refusal 
of  the  pilots  to  take  the  responsibility  of  conducting 
the  heavy  ships  over  the  bar,  prevented  an  immediate 
attack  on  the  enemy's  fleet  in  Sandy  Hook,  with  a 
simultaneous  attack  on  land.  There  were  then  six 
thousand  troops  stationed  chiefly  at  Newport  in  gar- 
rison ;  and  the  French  proceeded  to  that  place.  To 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  293 

render  the  attack  on  them  effectual,  troops  were  sent 
thither  to  co-operate,  under  Generals  Sullivan,  La- 
fayette, and  Greene.  Several  causes  produced  the 
failure  of  this  expedition,  which  it  is  not  here  neces- 
sary to  trace.  An  attack  was  concerted ;  and  some 
works  being  abandoned,  Sullivan  thought  he  would 
profit  by  the  circumstance,  and  cross  the  river  in  flat- 
bottomed  boats  to  take  them.  This  proceeding  of- 
fended the  count,  as  interfering  with  his  prerogatives ; 
and  a  coldness  ensued  which  effectually  prevented  all 
vigorous  measures.  Several  plans  were  now  sug- 
gested for  the  campaign  of  1779 ;  but  a  purely  defen- 
sive one  was  that  adopted,  as  best  suited  to  the  ex- 
hausted resources  of  the  country.  Besides  the  com- 
parative cheapness  of  this  policy,  Washington  thought 
that  no  great  need  existed  to  multiply  the  calamities 
of  war  by  any  extraordinary  exactions ;  as  the  alli- 
ance of  France,  and  the  indications  of  a  war  between 
England  and  Spain,  rendered  it  certain  that  in  the 
end  the  independence  of  the  United  States  would  be 
secured,  whenever  peace  would  be  proclaimed  be- 
tween them. 

During  the  winter  of  1779  the  enemy  remained 
within  their  lines  in  New  York,  and  nothing  of  any 
great  moment  was  attempted  on  either  side ;  spring 
likewise  passed  away,  and  yet  no  remarkable  event 
happened.  The  massacres  of  "Wyoming  and  Cherry 
Valley  had  caused  universal  jndignation  at  the  recital 
of  their  horrors.  "Washington  therefore  fitted  out  an 
expedition  against  the  Six  Nations  of  Indians,  who, 
instigated  by  British  agents  and  Sir  John  Johnston, 
had  attacked  and  ravaged  the  frontiers,  and  carried 
25* 


294  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

desolation  to  the  inhabitants.  Several  independent 
companies  from  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  joined 
the  four  thousand  continental  troops  under  General 
Sullivan,  whose  head-quarters  were  at  "Wyoming. 
He  advanced  from  this  position  into  the  Indian  terri- 
tory along  the  Susquehanna;  there  he  met  General 
Clinton,  who  came  from  the  Mohawk  River  by  way 
of  Lake  Otsego,  and  formed  a  junction  with  Sullivan 
at  /the  fork  of  the  Susquehanna.  With  him  he  ad- 
vanced into  the  settlements  of  the  savages ;  and  with 
their  combined  force,  amounting  to  five  thousand 
men,  they  defeated  a  band  of  Tories  and  Indians, 
whom  they  drove  back.  They  then  continued  their 
march  in  a  circuit  as  far  as  the  Genesee,  and  de- 
stroyed houses,  villages,  provisions,  and  property  of 
every  kind.  They  pursued  the  Indians  as  far  as  Nia- 
gara, where  they  were  protected  by  the  British  gar- 
rison. The  army  then  returned  by  the  Susquehanna 
to  "Wyoming. 

A  detachment  of  two  thousand  five  hundred  British 
was  sent  to  Virginia  in  the  spring  of  1779,  under 
General  Matthews,  which  sacked  the  town  of  Suffolk; 
and  after  destroying  an  immense  amount  of  provi- 
sions and  .burning  the  village,  they  seized  a  large 
quantity  of  tobacco,  sunk  or  destroyed  many  vessels, 
captured  others,  and  then  escaped  with  their  plun- 
der. The  squadron,  on  its  return,  was  joined  by 
vessels  on  which  a  large  body  of  troops  were  em- 
barked ;  and  the  expedition  then  sailed  up  the  Hud- 
son, under  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  whose  aim  was  to  take 
Stony  Point  and  Verplanck's  Point  on  the  Hudson, 
and  thus  make  himself  master  of  the  highlands,  their 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  295 

passes  and  fortifications.  The  American  troops  sta- 
tioned in  Jersey  soon  arrested  the  further  progress  of 
the  enemy  in  that  direction,  but  did  not  arrive  in  time 
to  prevent  the  capture  of  the  two  posts  already 
named ;  and  these  were  unable  to  resist  an  army  of 
six  thousand  men,  assisted  by  a  powerful  naval  arma- 
ment. A  strong  garrison  was  left  at  each  of  these 
posts,  and  the  fortifications  were  continued  which  had 
been  already  commenced  at  the  time  of  their  capture. 
Washington  having  left  a  sufficient  force  to  hinder 
the  advance  of  the  enemy,  placed  his  army  in  and 
about  the  highlands,  and  made  New  "Windsor,  near 
West  Point,  his  head-quarters. 

Thirty-five  thousand  two  hundred  and  eleven  men 
constituted  the  nominal  force  which  Congress  desig- 
nated for  the  campaign  of  1780.  Several  difficulties 
impeded  the  raising  of  this  large  army ;  one  of  these 
was  the  depreciated  continental  currency.  Prior  to 
March  of  that  year  two  hundred  million  dollars  had 
been  issued  by  Congress ;  of  which  no  portion  had 
ever  been  redeemed.  Forty  paper  dollars  were  worth, 
only  one  in  specie,  and  the  effect  of  this  disproportion 
was  to  derange  every  branch  of  business.  Another 
difficulty  was  the  bad  system  of  procuring  supplies, 
which  left  it  with  each  of  the  States  to  furnish  a  cer- 
fain  quota.  The  large  number  of  hands  through 
which  the  business  must  necessarily  pass,  the  want  of 
authority  to  compel  promptitude,  the  difficulty  of 
transportation,  and  various  other  causes,  operated  in  a 
most  disastrous  manner;  and,  till  it  was  abandoned, 
greatly  perplexed  the  commander-in-chief.  Paper 
money  was  made  a  legal  tender  by  the  Congress,  and 


296  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMEa 

all  debts  might  be  paid,  at  the  nominal  value,  in  this 
currency.  Many  persons  took  advantage  of  this  de- 
cree to  liquidate  their  liabilities ;  but  the  expedient 
was  regarded  as  unjust  by  "Washington,  who  was  a 
sufferer  himself  by  it,  to  a  very  large  extent.  Fresh 
enlistments  were  now  to  be  made,  and  each  State 
was  ordered  to  furnish  its  quota  of  troops  to  oppose 
the  enemy's  force,  which  now  amounted  in  New 
York  to  seventeen  thousand  effective  men. 

General  Lafayette  returned  from  France  in  April, 
1780,  and  brought  the  joyful  news  that  an  armament 
of  land  and  naval  forces  wras  prepared  by  the  govern- 
ment of  that  country,  and  would  soon  arrive  in  the 
United  States.  They  subsequently  arrived  on  the 
10th  of  July,  and  entered  the  harbor  of  Newport. 
The  forces  consisted  of  eight  ships-of-the-line,  two 
frigates,  two  bombs,  and  over  five  thousand  troops. 
The  Chevalier  de  Ternay  commanded  the  fleet,  while 
the  army  was  under  the  Count  de  Rochambeau. 
Another  division  at  Brest,  detained  for  want  of  trans- 
ports, was  soon  expected.  The  harmony  between  the 
French  and  American  troops  was  promoted  by  the 
excellent  arrangement,  according  to  which  all  of 
them  were  to  be  under  the  orders  of  General  Wash- 
ington ;  and  when  the  armies  were  together  prece- 
dence was  to  be  given  the  American  troops  by  the 
French.  French  officers  of  equal  rank  were  to  be 
under  the  command  of  American  officers,  and  in  all 
military  acts  the  American  generals  were  to  take  the 
lead.  Lafayette  informed  "Washington  of  these  in- 
structions in  detail ;  and  the  Count  de  Rochambeau 
sent  him  an  official  copy  of  them.  This  policy  pro- 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  297 

moted  harmony  and  friendship  from  the  beginning 
to  the  conclusion  of  the  service ;  and  "Washington,  as 
a  compliment  to  the  French,  who  wore  white  in  their 
cockades,  recommended  the  continental  officers  to 
blend  it  with  the  black,  as  a  symbol  of  friendship. 
A  plan  of  co-operation  was  now  adopted,  which  was 
afterward  postponed  in  consequence  of  the  arrival  of 
Admiral  Graves  with  six  ships,  which  rendered  the 
British  force  superior  to  the  French. 


298  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

fRENCH  FLEET  BLOCKADED — INTERVIEW  BETWEEN  THE  COMMANDERS 
—  ITS  RESULT  —  REVOLT  OF  THE  PENNSYLVANIA  LINE  —  WISE  CON- 
DUCT OF  WAYNE,  AND  PLAN  OF  WASHINGTON  WITH  THE  JERSEY  LINK 

ARTICLES  OF  CONFEDERATION BATTLE  OF  THE  COWPENS AFFAIK 

OF  M'GOWAN'S  FORD  —  PROCLAMATION  OF  CORNWALLIS  —  STATE  OF 
GREENE'S  ARMY — RETREAT  OF  CORNWALLIS — FRENCH  FLEET  IN  THE 
CHESAPEAKE —  WASHINGTON  AT  NEWPORT — OPERATIONS  OF  LAFA- 
YETTE  THE  ENEMY  AT  MOUNT  VERNON FRENCH  AUXILIARIES 

ATTACK  ON  NEW  YORK  ABANDONED  —  ROBERT  MORRIS  —  THE  MARCH 
OF  THE  ALLIES  SOUTHWARD — SIEGE  OF  YORKTOWN — SURRENDER  OF 
CORNWALLIS. 

SIR  HENRY  CLINTON  was  duly  apprised  of  the  des- 
tination of  the  French  fleet,  and  resolved  to  exert 
himself  to  counteract  its  operations  in  behalf  of  the 
cause  of  America.  Six  thousand  troops  were  detailed 
.to  attack  the  French  in  Newport  in  conjunction  with 
the  fleet ;  but  while  he  was  making  his  preparation s», 
Count  Rochambeau  and  General  Heath  had  so  aug- 
mented their  forces,  that  Sir  Henry  was  compelled  to 
return  to  New  York  without  effecting  his  object.  He 
feared  also  that,  as  Washington  had  crossed  the  Hud- 
eon,  he  might  attack  New  York.  The  French  fleet 
could  not  act  without  a  superiority  to  the  English, 
and  was  now  blockaded  in  Newport  by  General  Ar- 
buthnot.  The  other  division  was  detailed  at  Brest, 
and  that  under  De  Guichen  never  sailed  for  the 
Uuited  States  at  all.  The  French  army  was  on  board 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  299 

the  fleet,  which  it  remained  to  protect.  An  interview 
took  place  between  the  American  general  and  the 
French  admiral  on  the  21st  of  September,  at  Hart- 
ford ;  but  as  a  naval  superiority  was  the  basis  of  any 
future  enterprise,  it  was  impossible  at  present  to  con- 
cert any  scheme  of  co-operation,  and  any  plan  must 
rest  on  contingent  circumstances. 

The  year  1781  opened  with  a  formidable  revolt  of 
the  Pennsylvania  line  stationed  at  Morristown;  which 
might  have  been  attended  with  serious  consequences. 
Fifteen  hundred  of  these  men  paraded  under  arms ; 
refused  to  obey  their  officers;  and  when  General 
"Wayne  pointed  his  pistols  at  them,  their  bayonets 
were  at  his  breast.  "We  love  you,"  they  said,  "we' 
respect  you ;  but  you  are  a  dead  man  if  you  fire.  Do 
not  mistake  us;  we  are  not  going  over  to  the  enemy; 
were  they  to  come  out,  you  would  see  us  fight  under 
your  orders  with  as  much  resolution  and  alacrity  as 
ever."  A  bloody  affray  ensued,  in  which  many  were 
wounded  on  both  sides,  and  one  captain  was  killed. 
The  mutineers  compelled  three  regiments  to  join 
them,  and  were  then  thirteen  hundred  strong.  They 
seized  on  six  field-pieces,  and  under  the  command  of 
sergeants  marched  to  Philadelphia  to  demand  redress 
of  their  grievances  from  Congress.  They  complained 
that  their  pay  was  in  arrears ;  that  they  were  paid  in 
the  paper  currency  which  was  so  much  depreciated; 
and  that,  in  addition  to  the  hardships  which  they  suf- 
fered, many  of  them  were  detained  beyond  the  time 
of  their  enlistment.  They  had  been  enlisted  to  serve 
three  years  or  during  the  war,  and  when  on  the  ex- 
piration of  three  years  they  had  demanded  their  dis- 


300  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

charge,  the  officers  interpreted  the  agreement  to  mean 
three  years,  or  should  the  war  continue  any  longer, 
until  its  close.  The  prudence  of  Wayne  in  procuring 
supplies  for  them  on  the  march,  prevented  them  from 
plundering  the  inhabitants,  and  an  express  sent  to 
"Washington  informed  him  of  the  revolt.  He  advised 
Wayne  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  soothe  their  irritated 
feelings,  and  drawing  out  a  statement  of  their  griev- 
ances, promised  to  represent  their  case  to  Congress. 

This  course  produced  a  good  effect.  The  President 
of  Pennsylvania  met  them  at  Trenton,  and  some  of 
them  who  had  served  three  years  were  discharged,  cer- 
tificates being  given  for  the  deficit  in  their  pay.  All 
their  arrears  were  to  be  settled  as  soon  as  possible.  The 
men  were  to  be  furnished  with  the  articles  of  clothing 
necessary  to  their  immediate  wants.  Those  who  were 
not  discharged,  obtained  a  furlough  of  forty  days,  and 
thus  the  whole  revolting  force  were  disbanded  for  a 
time.  Two  spies  sent  by  Clinton  to  tamper  with  the 
troops,  were  given  up  and  hanged.  The  revolters 
scorned  the  idea  of  deserting  to  the  enemy,  and  said 
they  had  no  intention  of  becoming  Arnolds. 

Washington,  who  questioned  the  policy  pursued  in 
this  case,  had  an  opportunity  of  acting  in  accordance 
with  his  own  views ;  and  doubting  what  results  the 
example  of  the  late  revolt  might  produce,  he  ordered 
a  thousand  picked  men  from  the  highland  regiments 
to  be  ready  for  action  at  a  moment's  notice.  The 
New  Jersey  troops  soon  afterward  revolted,  and 
threatened  to  march  to  Trenton  and  obtain  redress 
of  grievances  from  the  State  Legislature  at  the  point 
of  the  bayonet.  Six  hundred  men,  under  the  com- 


OP    GEORGE    WASHTNGTON.  301 

hi«*  d  of  General  Howe,  were  ordered  to  reduce  the 
mu'rneers  to  unconditional  submission.  This  waa 
speedily  accomplished.  The  mutineers  were  taken 
by  surprise,  ordered  to  parade  without  their  arms, 
and  to  deliver  up  the  ringleaders.  They  obeyed,  and 
two  of  them  were  shot.  The  remainder  returned  to 
their  duty,  and  thus  the  mutiny  was  suppressed. 

Washington  rejoiced  to  see  the  articles  of  confede- 
ration between  the  States  ratified  at  this  time ;  for 
though  a  set  of  articles  had  been  submitted  by  Dr. 
Franklin  in  1775,  they  were  retarded  by  the  disputes 
of  some  of  the  States.  The  confederation  was  now 
complete,  and  was  expected  to  exert  the  happiest  in- 
fluence in  this  country  and  in  Europe.  The  com- 
mander-in-chief,  in  a  letter  to  the  President  of  Con- 
gress, congratulated  him  in  suitable  terms  on  the  long 
wished  for  and  propitious  event. 

Washington  now  wrote  to  the  Count  de  Rocham 
beau,  who  commanded  the  French  fleet,  suggesting 
that  M.  Destouches  should  at  once  sail  with  his 
whole  fleet,  and  with  a  thousand  French  troops,  to 
Virginia.  An  engagement  between  the  French  and 
English  squadrons  took  place  at  the  Capes  of  Virginia, 
in  which  the  trophies  of  courage  and  victory  were 
about  equal.  When  Washington  was  informed  that 
M.  de  Tilly  had  sailed  to  the  south,  he  sent  twelve 
hundred  men,  under  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette,  to 
co-operate  with  the  French  against  Arnold.  Baron 
Steuben  had  operated  in  Virginia  against  that  traitor 
before  the  arrival  of  Lafayette,  who,  as  the  senior 
officer,  had  now  command  of  all  the  continental 
troops,  and  all  the  militia  in  that  State.  Washington 
26 


302  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

proceeded  to  confer  with  the  French  commanvlers  at 
Newport.  He  set  out  on  the  2d  of  March,  and  arrived 
after  a  journey  of  three  weeks.  The  citizens  of  New- 
port presented  an  address  to  him  in  public,  expressing 
the  gratitude  they  felt  for  his  services  to  his  country. 
They  dwelt  on  the  joy  it  gave  them  to  see  him  among 
them.  He  declared  the  lively  satisfaction  he  experi- 
enced, and  reciprocated  their  kindly  sentiments,  tak- 
ing notice  also  of  the  magnanimity  of  the  French 
allies,  their  zeal  in  the  American  cause,  and  their 
claims  to  the  lasting  gratitude  of  the  nation. 

No  general  arrangement  could  then  be  made  for 
concerted  action,  on  account  of  the  uncertainty  of  the 
designs  of  the  enemy.  Though  not  then  known,  it 
became  evident  afterward  that  Sir  Henry  Clinton 
attempted  to  change  the  seat  of  war  to  the  Chesapeake 
and  Pennsylvania;  to  effect  which  two  thousand  men, 
under  General  Phillips,  were  sent  to  Virginia  to  co- 
operate with  Arnold  and  Lord  Cornwallis,  who  were 
expected  to  proceed  through  North  Carolina  and  form 
a  j  unction  with  these  troops.  As  no  part  of  the  French 
fleet  arrived  in  the  Chesapeake,  Lafayette,  who  was 
to  act  in  concert  with  them,  led  his  army  to  Annapo- 
lis; and  having  heard  that  the  English,  instead  of  the 
French  fleet,  was  in  the  Chesapeake,  he  prepared  to 
return  to  the  Hudson.  But  when  he  had  reached  the 
head  of  the  Elk,  he  received  orders  from  Washington 
to  march  southward,  and  meet  the  British  in  Virginia, 
or  join  the  Southern  army.  One  of  the  enemy's  vessels 
which  ascended  the  chief  rivers  of  the  ChesajrcaKe 
Bay,  sailed  up  the  Potomac  to  Mount  Vernon.  Lund 
Washington  incurred  the  displeasure  of  the  general 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  303 

by  yielding  to  the  demands  which  the  enemy  made, 
in  order  to  save  the  mansion  and  estate  from  threat- 
ened ruin.  Washington  would  rather  have  heard 
that  Mount  Yernon  was  in  ruins,  than  that  his  stew- 
ard, who  was  his  representative,  should  have  visited 
the  vessels  of  the  enemy,  and  furnished  them  with 
refreshments.  These  sentiments  coincided  with  those 
which  ever  characterized  the  public  and  private  life 
of  Washington. 

An  entry  made  in  Washington's  diary  of  the  1st 
of  May,  1781,  shows  the  condition  of  the  army  to 
have  been  destitute  of  many  necessaries ;  and"  the 
prospect  of  the  coming  campaign  to  have  been  gloomy 
in  the  extreme.  He  was  soon  cheered,  however,  by 
the  arrival  of  Count  de  Barras  in  Boston  harbor,  with 
a  French  frigate,  and  with  the  news  of  a  reinforce- 
ment of  troops  from  France,  and  of  another  fleet  from 
the  West  Indies,  which  would  sail  for  the  United 
States,  under  the  Count  de  Grasse.  A  conference 
took  place  on  the  22d  of  May,  at  Weathersfield,  iu 
Connecticut,  between  the  American  and  French  com- 
manders. The  Count  de  Barras  was  detained  at  New- 
port, as  a  British  squadron  had  appeared.  That 
nobleman  had  succeeded  M.  Destouches  in  the  com- 
mand. On  the  part  of  the  French,  the  Marquis  de 
Chastellux,  who  held  the  rank  of  major-general  in 
the  army,  accompanied  Count  de  Rochambeau ;  the 
commander-in-chief,  with  Generals  Knox  and  Dupor- 
tail,  attended  on  the  part  of  the  Americans. 

Two  things  claimed  the  chief  attention  of  this  con- 
ference :  an  expedition  to  Virginia,  and  an  attack 
in  concert  on  New  York.  These  points  were  freely 


804  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

debated,  and  it  was  finally  arranged  that  Count  de 
Rochambeau  should  march  from  Newport,  and  join 
the  American  army  on  the  Hudson.  At  this  time 
"Washington  wrote  to  the  governors  of  the  Eastern 
States,  requesting  them  to  furnish  their  quotas ;  and 
if  men  could  not  be  enlisted  for  three  years  or  during 
the  war,  to  enlist  them  for  the  campaign  only,  as  the 
demand  for  their  service  was  imperative.  The  militia 
were  to  defend  Newport  in  the  absence  of  the  French 
fleet. 

Washington  was  holding  correspondence,  during 
all  this  time,  with  the  most  distant  portions  of  his 
command,  and  directing  the  operations  under  Gene 
rals  Greene  and  Lafayette  at  the  South  ;  while  the 
Canadian  frontier,  and  the  western  posts  beyond  the 
Alleghenies,  also  claimed  his  attention.  Robert  Mor- 
ris, then  recently  appointed  Superintendent  of  Finance 
by  Congress,  procured  on  his  personal  credit  two 
thousand  barrels  of  flour  for  the  army,  of  which  it 
was  in  great  need.  The  first  position  of  the  Ameri- 
can army  was  at  Peekskill,  and  it  afterward  encamped 
at  Dobbs'  Ferry  on  July  the  4th.  It  was  joined  by 
Count  de  Rochambeau  on  the  6th,  and  the  French 
occupied  the  left,  extending  to  the  Broux  in  a  single 
line.  An  ineffectual  attempt  had  been  made  by  Gene- 
ral Lincoln  and  the  Duke  de  Lauzun  previously,  on 
the  north  side  of  New  York  Island.  The  two  com- 
manders reconnoitred  the  works;  but  so  slow  were 
the  recruits  in  coming  in,  that  the  army  was  never 
capable  of  an  attack,  unless  in  the  case  of  the  supe- 
riority of  the  French  fleet  to  that  of  the  enemy. 
Count  de  Grasse  was  therefore  advised  to  sail  to  Sandy 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  305 

Hook.  He  sent  a  letter  to  the  effect  that  he  would 
soon  sail  from  St.  Domingo  to  the  Chesapeake  with 
his  whole  fleet,  and  three  thousand  two  hundred 
troops.  He  could  not,  however,  remain  on  the  coast 
beyond  October ;  and  this  circumstance  changed  the 
aspect  of  affairs.  It  was  agreed,  therefore,  to  give  up 
the  siege  of  New  York  ;  and,  taking  as  many  of  the 
American  forces  as  could  be  spared  from  the  defences 
and  highlands  of  the  Hudson,  proceed  with  the  re- 
mainder and  the  French  troops  to  Virginia.  The 
advance  of  Cornwallis  into  the  lower  counties  of  Vir 
ginia,  was  checked  by  the  valor  and  skill  of  the  Mar- 
quis de  Lafayette,  whose  prudence  and  good  general- 
ship merited  and  received  the  praises  of  Washington. 
The  King  of  France,  through  the  minister  of  war, 
expressed  his  approbation  by  the  assurance  given 
that,  when,  the  United  States  no  longer  required  the 
services  of  the  marquis,  he  should  be  raised  to  the 
rank  of  field-marshal  in  the  French  army.  It  should 
be  mentioned  to  his  honor  that,  when  in  Baltimore,  he 
had  clothed  the  troops  at  a  cost  of  two  thousand  pounds, 
drawn  from  his  own  funds.  The  Hudson  was  now 
left  in  command  of  General  Heath,  and  the  two  armies 
advanced  through  Philadelphia  to  the  head  of  the 
Elk.  Robert  Morris  obtained  a  loan  of  twenty  thou- 
sand dollars  for  the  use  of  the  troops,  as  they  marched 
through  that  city.  On  the  way  southward,  Washing- 
ton stopped  at  Mount  Yernon.  Six  eventful  years 
had  elapsed  since  he  had  been  sheltered  under  its 
peaceful  roof;  and  now,  with  his  suite,  the  Count  de 
Chambeau,  the  Marquis  de  Chastellux,  and  other  dis- 
tinguished guests,  he  was  once  more  received  and 
26*  u 


306  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

entertained  with  the  profuse  hospitality  of  old  Vir- 
ginia. He  joined  Lafayette  at  Williamsburg  on  the 
14th  of  September,  1781.  Lord  Cornwallis  had  hoped 
that  the  British  would  be  superior  to  the  French  fleet, 
and  had  relied  for  aid  on  Sir  Henry  Clinton.  He  had 
taken  possession  of  Yorktown,  and  of  Gloucester,  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  York  River.  These  were 
places  of  considerable  strength,  especially  the  latter, 
into  which  he  threw  his  main  army,  erected  strong 
defences,  and  prepared  for  an  obstinate  siege. 

Meantime  the  whole  fleet  of  Count  de  Grasse, 
twenty-six  ships-of-the-line  and  several  frigates,  had 
encountered  Admiral  Graves  off  the  Capes,  arid  had 
entered  the  Chesapeake  Bay.  The  French  squadron 
from  Newport,  under  Count  de  Barras,  had  joined 
him.  The  army  of  Lafayette  formed  a  union  with 
the  forces  of  the  Marquis  de  St.  Simon,  consisting  of 
three  thousand  men;  and  the  French  and  American 
troops  were  brought  down  in  transports  sent  up  the 
Chesapeake.  At  Cape  Henry  the  two  commanders 
held  a  conference  on  board  the  Ville  de  Paris,  with 
Count  de  Grasse;  and  the  two  generals  marching 
all  the  troops  from  Williamsburg,  the  allied  forces 
invested  Yorktown  on  the  30th  of  September,  1781. 
The  French  were  posted  on  the  left,  and  formed  a 
semi-circular  line  on  the  York  Eiver.  The  Americans 
were  stationed  on  the  right.  Lauzun's  legion,  ma- 
rines from  the  fleet,  and  Virginia  militia,  invested 
Gloucester.  On  the  6th  of  October,  General  Lincoln 
opened  the  first  parallel,  within  six  hundred  yards  of 
the  enemy's  works.  Foundations  for  two  redoubts 
were  laid  within  it ;  its  extent  was  nearly  two  miles ; 


OF    GEORGE    "WASHINGTON.  307 

and  the  American  and  French  soldiers  worked  at  it 
in  harmony,  under  a  severe  fire  from  the  enemy. 
"When  the  parallel  and  several  batteries  were  com- 
pleted on  the  9th,  General  Washington  fired  the  first 
cannon.  His  operations  were  vigorous ;  he  observed 
the  siege  progressing  with  a  great  display  of  gallan- 
try on  both  sides ;  and  though  several  times  in  immi- 
nent danger,  he  behaved  with  the  utmost  coolness 
and  presence  of  mind. 

The  siege  was  conducted  with  the  usual  routine  of 
operations,  both   defensive    and   offensive ;   but   the 
chief  event  was  the  storming  of  two  redoubts  by  a 
party  of  American  light-infantry,  headed  by  Lafay- 
ette ;  and  by  a  body  of  French  grenadiers  and  chas- 
seurs, led  on  by  the  Baron  de  Viomenil.     Both  were 
successful  under  a  destructive  fire,  and  carried  the 
redoubts  at  the  point  of  the   bayonet.     Alexander 
Hamilton,  who  led  the  advance  corps  of  the  Ameri- 
can party,  manifested  extraordinary  bravery.     Corn- 
wallis  soon  saw  that  he  could  not  hold  the  position. 
The  defences  were  crumbling,  and  though  his  proud 
spirit  recoiled  from  the  thought  of  a  surrender,  he 
attempted  to  make  his  escape,  though  unsuccessfully. 
There  was  no  other  alternative,  and  on  the  17th  of 
October  he  dispatched  a  note,  proposing  a  cessation 
of  hostilities  for  twenty-four  hours,  and  the  appoint- 
ment of  commissioners,  to  confer  in  reference  to  the 
surrender  of  Yorktown  and  Gloucester. 

Washington  desired  Cornwallis  to  communicate 
the  proposed  terms  in  writing,  and  hostilities  were 
suspended  for  that  purpose.  Some  of  the  terms  de- 
manded were  inadmissible;  and  Washington  sketched 
and  sent  on  the  19th  the  outlines  of  a  capitulation. 


308  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

such  as  he  was  willing  to  accept.  He  expected  that 
the  terms  would  be  signed  by  eleven  o'clock,  and  the 
garrison  would  be  ready  to  march  out  at  two.  Corn- 
wallis  eventually  complied  with  these  terms.  They 
were  as  follows :  The  troops  in  the  garrison  were  to 
be  given  up  as  prisoners  of  war;  all  the  artillery 
arms,  military  chests,  stores,  shipping,  and  boats, 
were  to  be  delivered ;  the  officers  were  to  retain  their 
side-arms;  and  the  private  baggage  of  officers  and 
soldiers  was  to  be  retained,  except  that  which  had 
been  taken  in  the  country. 

The  commissioners  appointed  on  the  part  of  the 
Americans  and  French  were  Colonel  Laurens  and 
Viscount  de  Noailles ;  and  those  on  the  part  of  the 
British  were  Colonel  Dundas  and  Major  Ross.  The 
Bonetta  sloop-of-war  was  left,  at  the  request  of  Corn- 
wallis,  to  convey  despatches  to  Sir  Henry  Clinton. 
In  it  were  taken  all  the  traders  within  the  lines ;  and 
it  was  afterward  to  be  returned,  and  with  the  crew, 
guns,  and  stores,  to  be  surrendered.  The  British 
lost,  in  this  siege,  six  hundred  men ;  the  Americans 
and  French  three  hundred  in  killed  and  wounded. 
The  whole  number  of  prisoners,  exclusive  of  seamen, 
was  seven  thousand  men.  The  allied  army  included 
seven  thousand  American  regular  troops,  and  four 
thousand  militia;  the  French  numbered  five  thou- 
sand. The  land  forces  surrendered  to  General  "Wash- 
ington, while  the  seamen,  ships,  and  naval  trophies, 
were  received  by  the  French  admiral.  General  Wash- 
ington obtained  two  stands  of  colors,  Count  de  Ro- 
chambeau  and  Count  de  Grasse  two  field-pieces  from 
the  capture ;  and  with  these  the  commanders  received 
the  thanks  of  Congress. 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  309 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

WASHINGTON     URGES      PREPARATIONS     FOR     ANOTHER     CAMPAIGN  — 

REASONS THE     NEWBURG    ADDRESSES,    AND   CONCLUSION    OF    THB 

MATTER  —  VIEWS  OF  A  PEACE  ESTABLISHMENT,  AND  CIRCULAR 
LETTER  TO  GOVERNORS  OF  STATES PEACE  PROCLAIMED  —  WASH- 
INGTON'S FAREWELL  ADDRESS  TO  THE  ARMY  —  AFFECTING  SCENB 
IN  PARTING  WITH  HIS  OFFICERS — RESIGNATION  OF  HIS  COMMIS- 
SION, AND  RETIREMENT  TO  MOUNT  VERNON  —  HE  ENGAGES  IN 
AGRICULTURAL  PURSUITS  —  IS  CHOSEN  FIRST  PRESIDENT  OF  THB 
UNITED  STATES  —  ADOPTION  OF  THE  CONSTITUTION  —  WASHING- 
TON'S DUTIES,  AND  HIS  ILLNESS  —  HE  RECOVERS  —  HIS  RULE3 

RESPECTING   APPOINTMENTS THE    FUNDED    DEBT THE  NATIONAL 

BANK  ESTABLISHED — DUTT  IMPOSED  ON  LIQUORS  DISTILLED  IN 
THE  UNITED  STATES. 

THE  Revolutionary  struggle  was  now  virtually  ter- 
minated. The  sword  was  to  be  turned  into  the 
ploughshare ;  and  the  desperate  vicissitudes  of  strife 
and  blood  to  be  exchanged  for  the  more  attractive 
scenes  of  concord  and  peace.  The  chieftain  whose 
wisdom  and  prowess  had  conducted  the  patriot  army 
through  the  triumphs  of  the  Revolution,  was  about 
to  dismiss  his  valiant  officers  and  his  brave  allies,  and 
retire  to  the  welcome  retreat  of  Mount  Vernon,  and 
the  cherished  delights  of  home.  He  saw  the  armies 
of  the  despot  vanquished,  and  the  sceptre  over  the 
colonies  broken ;  but  he  also  knew  the  stern  temper 
of  the  British  Cabinet,  and  the  resources  which  might 
yet  be  employed  to  prolong  the  conflict.  It  was  his 


310  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

policy  to  be  prepared  for  the  future,  and  have  the 
country  defended  by  the  presence  of  a  powerful  force. 
The  pacific  pretensions  of  such  a  wily  foe  could  not 
be  depended  upon,  and  to  prepare  for  another  cam- 
paign was  the  proper  policy  to  be  adopted.  There- 
fore Washington  stirred  up  the  people  to  vigorous 
action.  Six  millions  of  livres,  to  be  paid  monthly  by 
France,  were  of  great  advantage ;  and  in  the  depart- 
ure of  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette  to  that  country, 
America  would  possess  an  ardent  friend,  who  would 
be  mindful  of  her  interests. 

Nevertheless  recruiting  proceeded  slowly,  and 
Washington  endeavored,  by  the  strongest  arguments, 
to  induce  the  States  to  furnish  their  quotas.  The 
officers  who  were  in  arrears  of  pay  had  become  dis- 
contented, and  serious  consequences  were  appre- 
hended from  that  source.  But  a  still  more  dangerous 
influence  was  at  work;  a  letter  addressed  to  the 
commander-in-chief  expressed  the  idea  that  a  mo- 
narchy should  be  erected  in  the  colonies ;  and  sug- 
gested that  the  same  abilities  that  had  triumphed  in 
the  storms  of  war,  would  be  no  less  likely  to  be  use- 
ful in  the  calmer  arena  of  peace.  This  idea  was 
spurned  by  Washington  with  contempt ;  and  he  ex- 
hibited such  marked  manifestations  of  his  displeasure 
as  crushed  the  conspiracy  in  the  bud.  This  he  did 
at  the  zenith  of  his  power,  and  when  it  was  seriously 
proposed  to  make  him  king. 

[  Sir  Guy  Carleton  arrived  in  New  York,  bringing 
the  tidings  of  peace.  He  wrote  in  August  to  say 
that  negotiations  were  then  progressing  in  Paris,  the 
first  condition  of  which  would  be  the  recognition  of 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  311 

the  independence  of  the  United  States.  The  French 
troops,  after  being  two  years  and  a  half  in  the  coun- 
try, returned  in  December  to  France.  The  army  at 
Newburg  became  full  of  malcontents,  on  account  of 
the  prospects  of  the  officers  and  privates.  The  arrears 
of  pay  due  them  seemed  to  be  insecure,  and  in  order 
to  obtain  their  rights,  they  sent  three  of  their  num- 
ber with  a  memorial  to  Congress.  While  many  in 
that  body  were  found  willing  to  commute  half-pay 
for  life  into  whole  pay  for  five  years,  a  sufficient  num- 
ber of  States  could  not  be  induced  to  vote  for  it,  and 
thus  the  matter  was  not  adjusted.  This  gave  rise  to 
the  famous  Newburg  Addresses,  which  were  of  a  very 
inflammatory  character,  and  summoned  a  meeting 
of  the  disaffected  officers  on  the  10th  of  March,  1783. 
"Washington,  in  his  general  orders,  censured  the 
anonymous  address  which  had  been  published,  and 
appointed  a  day  for  the  meeting  of  the  officers.  This 
was  held  on  the  15th  of  that  month,  at  which  time 
he  addressed  them,  and  promised  to  exert  his  utmost 
influence  with  Congress  to  have  their  grievances 
remedied,  and  their  demands  complied  with.  They 
thanked  him,  and  by  his  prudence  a  state  of  tranquil- 
lity was  restored,  instead  of  one  of  insubordination 
and  turbulence.  Washington  performed  his  pro- 
mise ;  Congress  voted  the  commutation  of  half-pay, 
and  redressed  the  other  grievances  complained  of 
by  the  officers  in  their  memorial.  Peace  was  pro- 
claimed to  the  American  army  on  the  19th  of  April, 
eight  years  after  the  first  American  blood  had  been 
ehed  at  Lexington. 

The  time  had  now  arrived  when  Washington  waa 


312  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

to  separate  from  his  brave  companions-in-arras,  the 
officers  who  had  been  his  associates  in  the  dangers 

O 

and  trials  of  the  war,  and  in  whom  he  felt  deeply 
interested.  Their  last  interview  took  place  on  the 
4th  of  December,  at  Francis'  tavern,  and  the  emo- 
tion which  Washington  exhibited  on  that  occasion 
was  intense.  It  was  truly  an  impressive  scene.  He 
filled  a  glass,  drank,  and  then  added :  "With  a  heart 
full  of  love  and  gratitude  I  now  take  leave  of  you ; 
I  most  devoutly  wish  that  your  latter  days  may  be 
as  prosperous  and  happy,  as  your  former  ones  have 
been  glorious  and  honorable.  I  cannot  come  to 
each  of  you  to  take  my  leave,  but  shall  be  obliged 
if  each  of  you  will  come  and  take  me  by  the  hand." 
A  tear  trembled  in  the  eye  of  every  officer  present. 
The  silence  which  ensued  was  profound ;  and  after 
having  bid  adieu  to  each  separately,  Washington 
retired.  As  his  barge  lay  at  Whitehall,  the  com- 
pany followed  him  thither  in  mute  procession ;  and 
when  he  entered  it,  he  took  off  and  waved  his  hat 
to  them  as  a  final  farewell.  He  now  proceeded 
slowly  to  Annapolis,  to  which  place  Congress  had 
adjourned ;  and  on  his  way  met  with  innumerable 
tokens  of  respect  and  affection  from  the  people. 
Having  arrived  at  Annapolis,  he  resigned  his  com- 
mission, on  the  25th  of  December,  1783,  in  presence 
of  a  large  concourse  of  spectators,  in  the  hall  of  Con- 
gress ;  and  thus  withdrew  from  public  life,  and  from 
official  duties,  to  the  repose  and  seclusion  of  a  private 
citizen.  He  reached  Mount  Vernon  on  the  same 
day  —  a  spot  which,  except  on  his  way  to  Yorktown, 
he  had  not  seen  for  eight  years  and  a  half.  His  feel- 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  313 

ings  on  this  occasion  were  expressed  in  a  letter  to 
Lafayette :  "  I  have  not  only  retired  from  all  public , 
employments,  but  am  retiring  within  myself,  and 
shall  be  able  to  view  the  solitary  walk,  and  tread  the 
paths  of  private  life,  with  heartfelt  satisfaction.  En- 
vious of  none,  I  am  determined  to  be  pleased  with 
all ;  and  this,  my  dear  friend,  being  the  order  of  my 
march,  I  will  move  gently  down  the  stream  of  life, 
until  I  sleep  with  my  fathers." 

One  of  the  first  duties  which  occupied  the  attention 
of  Washington,  on  his  return  to  Mount  Vernon,  was 
to  look  after  his  affairs ;  which,  in  consequence  of  his 
prolonged  absence,  had  fallen  into  much  confusion. 
As  he  would   not  accept  any  compensation  for  his 
military  services,  he  felt  it  the  more  imperative  to 
repair  his  losses,  and  not  only  to  economize,  but  to 
add  to  the  value  of  his  possessions.     On  his  retire- 
ment from  public  life,  the  Executive  Council  of  Penn- 
sylvania directed  their  delegates  in  Congress  to  say, 
that  General  "Washington  on  his  retirement,  from  the 
very  fame  of  his  illustrious  achievements,  would  be 
put  to  expense  by  the  admiration  excited  by  his  vir- 
tues;  that  in  such  a  view  of  the  case,  though  he 
would  accept  no  pecuniary  compensation  for  his  ser- 
vices, and  the  matter  required  to  be  treated  with  great 
delicacy ;  yet,  that  the  people  of  Pennsylvania  would 
regret  that  his  merits  should  be  burdensome  to  him, 
and  they  relied  on  the  good  sense  of  Congress  to  give 
the  matter  an  early  attention.     This  step  could  not 
be  taken  without   his  previous  knowledge,  and  he 
promptly  expressed  the  wish  that  no  movement  of  the 
kind  should  be  made      He  now  devoted  his  thoughts 
27 


314  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

io  improvements  on  his  farm,  and  the  entertainment 
of  such  company  as  were  attracted  to  Mount  Yernon 
from  respect  and  admiration  of  its  owner.     He  re- 
ceived with   affability  the  friends  who  visited  him, 
and  entertained  strangers  with  dignified  politeness. 
In  the  reception  of  his  guests,  he  was  aided  by  the 
discretion  and  amiable  courtesy  of  Mrs.  Washington. 
"Washington  made  a  tour  to  the  West  in  September, 
1784,  in  order  to  inspect  some  property  which  he 
owned  beyond  the  Allegheny  Mountains;  and  also 
to  ascertain  the  practicability  of  opening  a  commu- 
nication between  the  waters  that  flow  into  the  Atlantic 
and  those  that  flow  to  the  West,  and  fall  into  the  Ohio 
River.    He  travelled  on  horseback  the  whole  distance 
of  six  hundred  and  eighty  miles,  following  the  route 
formerly  taken  by  Braddock.     When  he  reached  the 
Monongahela,  he  spent  a  few  days  in  surveying  some 
lands  which  he  possessed  there,  and  which  had  been 
partly  settled.     He  ascended  the  Monongahela,  and 
then  travelled  across  the  country  between  the  ridges 
of  the  Allegheny  Mountains.     It  was  his  intention  to 
ascertain  whether  a  communication  could  be  opened 
between  the  western  waters  and  the  Potomac  and 
James'  Rivers.  On  his  return  he  wrote  to  the  Governor 
of  Virginia,  communicating  to  him  the  information 
he  had  gained  in  reference  to  the  matter ;  explaining 
the  immense   advantages  that  would  accrue  to  the 
country  from  such  an  intercommunication  ;  and  set- 
ting forth  how  much  commerce  would  thereby  be 
facilitated.     He  urged  the  argument  that  the  United 
States  in  that  direction  were  possessed  of  formidable 
barriers ;  that  the  several  States  ought  to  be  bound 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  315 

together  by  indissoluble  bonds ;  he  showed  what  inju- 
ries the  Spaniards  on  the  right,  and  Great  Britain  on 
the  left,  could  effect  by  holding  out  inducements  for 
the  trade  or  alliance  of  those  near  them.  He  remarked, 
from  what  he  saw,  that  the  "Western  States  stood  on 
a  pivot,  which  the  weight  of  a  feather  would  turn 
either  way.  "They  have  looked  down  the  Missis- 
sippi until  the  Spaniards,  very  impolitically,  I  think, 
for  themselves,  threw  difficulties  in  their  way."  He 
then  showed  how  that  wras  the  most  favorable  time  for 
Virginia  to  undertake  the  enterprise,  which  she  could 
do  with  the  utmost  advantage  ;  as  the  inhabitants  of 
those  territories  were  willing  to  meet  her  more  than 
half  way.  The  State  of  Virginia,  at  that  time,  was 
prosperous  and  powerful.  Her  area  extended  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  western  waters.  She  had  two 
noble  rivers,  whose  sources  were  in  the  Alleghenies ; 
and  he  thought  a  commencement  of  this  great  work 
could  best  be  made  then. 

On  the  departure  of  General  Lafayette,  who  had  ac- 
companied Washington  during  his  journey  through  the 
Eastern  and  Middle  States,  and  had  been  enthusias- 
tically received,  and  then  spent  two  months  in  Mount 
Vernon,  he  wrote  to  his  wife :  "  We  restore  the  mar- 
quis to  you  in  good  health,  crowned  with  wreaths  of 
love  and  respect  from  every  part  of  the  Union." 
Lafayette  was  the  attached  friend  of  Washington,  and 
these  great  men  entertained  the  sincerest  affection 
and  esteem  for  each  other.  Washington  entertained 
the  conviction  that  this  meeting  would  be  their  last ; 
and  such  indeed  proved  to  be  the  case. 

The  letter  sent  by  Washington  to  the  Governor  of 


816  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

Virginia  impressed  the  Legislature  with  the  truth  of 
his  views;  surveyors  were  appointed,  and  two  com- 
panies were  organized,  named  the  Potomac  Company, 
and  the  James'  River  Company.  The  first  offered 
"Washington  fifty  shares  of  stock,  valued  at  ten  thou- 
sand dollars,  and  the  other  one  hundred  shares,  which 
were  worth  five  thousand  pounds.  To  accept  these 
tenders  would  have  been  contrary  to  his  principles, 
while  to  decline  them  would  be  thought  ungrateful, 
after  the  liberal  manner  in  which  they  were  offered 
to  his  acceptance.  An  answer  was  not  needed  till  the 
next  session  of  the  Legislature.  He  apprehended  that 
the  non-acceptance  of  them  might  retard  the  opera- 
tion of  the  companies,  by  the  withdrawal  of  the  sub- 
scriptions for  the  shares  made  on  his  account.  He 
therefore  wrote  to  the  governor  to  say  that,  if  per- 
mitted to  receive  the  proffered  shares  as  an  appro- 
priation for  a  public  object,  he  would  accept  them. 
His  proposal  was  agreed  to ;  the  shares  of  the  James' 
River  Company  were  transferred  to  Liberty  Hall 
Academy,  afterward  called  "Washington  College;  and 
the  Potomac  Company's  shares  he  left,  at  his  death, 
to  found  a  university  in  the  District  of  Columbia. 
"Washington  was  ever  the  friend  of  education,  pro- 
moted its  interests  by  contributions  and  donations, 
and  accepted  the  office  of  chancellor  of  "William  and 
Mary  College. 

The  famous  Lady  Huntingdon  at  that  time  enter- 
tained a  scheme  for  the  civilization  of  the  Indians.  It 
was  her  design  to  send  out  a  settlement  at  her  own 
expense  to  introduce  knowledge  and  the  influences 
of  the  true  religion  among  them.  She  wrote  to 


OF    GEOKGE    WASHINGTON.  317 

Washington  in  reference  to  the  matter,  and  he  laid 
the  affair  before  Congress;  but  social  and  political 
reasons  operating  at  that  time,  prevented  the  enter- 
prise from  being  carried  into  effect.  Washington  re- 
gularly appropriated  fifty  pounds  a  year,  out  of  his 
own  means,  to  educate  the  poor  children  of  Alex- 
andria; many  benefactions  were  conferred  by  him 
which  were  never  brought  to  light;  and  he  even 
offered  on  several  occasions  to  defray  the  college  ex- 
penses of  young  men. 

"Washington's  agricultural  employments  were  much 
interrupted  by  his  extensive  correspondence;  by  the 
numerous  applications  of  all  kinds  made  to  him ;  by 
the  company  he  was  compelled  to  receive ;  and  also  by 
the  adjustment  of  his  own  accounts.  Foreigners  and 
his  own  countrymen  resorted  in  large  numbers  to 
Mount  Vernon.  He  rose  early,  and  usually  wrote  or 
read  until  breakfast;  after  which  he  rode  round  his 
farm  "  to  inspect  the  outposts."  He  then  returned, 
re-entered  his  study,  and  there  remained  till  three 
o'clock,  which  was  his  hour  for  dining. 

But  whatever  Washington's  occupations  and  en- 
gagements may  have  been,  his  country  always  held  a 
paramount  claim  upon  his  attention.  Her  Senators 
always  consulted  him  in  doubtful  and  important 
emergencies.  The  pressure  of  the  war  which  had 
preserved  the  Union,  now  being  taken  off,  the  Fede- 
ral Congress  retained  but  a  feeble  organization,  pos- 
sessing little  authority,  and  its  power  became  in  fact 
a  mere  shadow.  The  Confederacy  was  defective  in 
many  essential  points,  and  Congress  could  neither 
regulate  commerce,  nor  provide  for  the  payment  of 
27* 


318  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

the  public  debts.  It  had  not  the  power  to  make  trea- 
ties with  foreign  nations,  or  suppress  discontents  at 
home ;  and  a  crisis  was  approaching  not  less  to  be 
dreaded,  perhaps,  than  the  ordeal  through  which  the 
nation  had  recently  passed.  The  defects  of  the  Ame- 
rican Confederacy  at  that  period  are  familiar  matters 
of  history ;  and  need  not  now  be  pointed  out  more 
particularly.  The  thirteen  States  were  in  a  condition 
of  transition.  The  difficulties  to  be  encountered 
were  sufficiently  great  in  themselves,  but  they  were 
aggravated  by  designing  men  who  endeavored  to  pro- 
mote their  own  malicious  and  selfish  ends;  and  de- 
magogues diffused  the  rank  venom  of  their  baleful 
influence  through  the  body  politic.  The  States  be- 
came jealous  of  the  Federal  Congress,  and  many 
thought  that  the  less  power  possessed  by  that  body, 
the  better  it  would  be  for  the  several  States.  The 
condition  of  affairs  was  such,  that  between  the  sec- 
tional influences  brought  to  bear,  and  the  other  defects 
under  which  the  Confederacy  labored,  a  speedy  re- 
form must  take  place,  or  the  Union  must  be  dissolved. 
Washington  clearly  perceived  the  impending  dan- 
gers. He  possessed  the  same  cool  and  steady  cou- 
rage, the  same  fertility  of  resources,  the  same  bold 
yet  prudent  resolution,  which  had  availed  him  on  the 
battle-field.  The  flame  of  patriotism  still  burned 
within  him,  and  all  his  private  interests  were  nobly 
sacrificed  on  the  altar  of  the  Republic.  It  happened 
at  that  time,  that  the  improvements  suggested  by 
him,  and  carried  out  by  the  Legislature  of  Virginia 
respecting  the  navigation  of  certain  rivers,  and  the 
communication  that  would  thus  encircle  the  whole 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  319 

country,  and  bind  the  Republic  together;  caused  the 
assembling  of  commissioners  from  several  States  to 
take  place  in  reference  thereto ;  and  their  delegates 
were  to  organize  in  a  general  convention,  to  which 
"Washington  was  appointed  delegate.  He  was  thus 
placed  in  an  embarrassing  condition,  inasmuch  as, 
being  President  of  the  Cincinnati,  —  a  society  which 
had  for  its  object  the  perpetuation  of  the  friendship 
and  intercourse  of  the  officers  of  the  army,  and  the 
aid  of  distressed  members  and  their  widows  and  or- 
phans;—  and  now  being  about  to  resign  the  presi- 
dency of  the  same,  assigning  as  a  reason  for  so  doing 
that  he  found  it  inconvenient  to  attend  its  meetings 
in  Philadelphia ;  for  him  then  to  appear  at  the  Con- 
vention seemed  inconsistent,  and  might  give  cause  to 
suspect  his  sincerity  toward  the  members  of  the  So- 
ciety of  the  Cincinnati.  The  wisdom  and  prudence 
of  Washington  were  imperatively  required  at  the  Con- 
vention ;  and  Congress  had  appointed  the  second 
Monday  in  May  as  the  time  for  its  meeting  in  Phila- 
delphia. This  date  possessed  the  advantage  of  allow- 
ing Washington  also  to  be  present  at  the  meeting  of 
the  Cincinnati,  if  he  wished  so  to  do;  and  therefore  he 
resolved  to  accept  the  appointment  to  the  Convention 
as  one  of  the  delegates  from  Virginia.  The  result 
which  he  wished  to  effect  by  attending  the  Conven- 
tion, was  thus  expressed  by  himself:  "My  wish  is, 
that  the  Convention  may  adopt  no  temporizing  ex- 
pedients, but  probe  the  defects. of  the  Constitution  to 
the  bottom,  and  provide  a  radical  cure,  whether  they 
are  agreed  to  or  not.  A  conduct  of  this  kind  will 
stamp  wisdom  and  dignity  on  their  proceedings,  and 


820  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

bold  up  a  light,  which  sooner  or  later  will  have  its 
influence."  He  was  received  on  his  approach  to  Phi- 
ladelphia with  public  honors,  and  escorted  by  a  troop 
of  horse  from  Gray's  Ferry.  When  the  Convention 
was  organized,  all  the  States  being  represented  but 
Rhode  Island,  its  unanimous  vote  called  "Washington 
to  the  Presidential  chair.  This  office  he  filled  with 
dignity  and  wisdom  during  the  four  months  of  the 
sitting  of  the  Convention ;  during  which  time  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States  was  adopted  and 
substituted  for  the  previously  existing  Articles  of 
Confederation.  All  the  members  except  three  signed 
it  on  the  17th  of  September,  1787  ;  copies  of  it  were 
sent  to  Congress,  and  that  body  distributed  them  to 
the  different  States  to  be  examined  and  approved  by 
the  several  Legislatures. 

This  Constitution  was  not  regarded  as  perfect  by 
any  of  its  framers.  The  opinion  of  Washington, 
Franklin,  Hamilton,  and  others  was,  that,  taken  as  a 
whole,  it  was  the  best  that  could  then  be  devised ; 
and  the  great  marvel  is,  that  the  delegates  of  so  many 
different  and  distant  States,  should,  notwithstanding 
their  local  prejudices  and  conflicting  interests,  have 
framed  and  adopted  such  a  Constitution.  By  a  pre- 
valent spirit  of  compromise  and  mutual  concession, 
the  Constitution  was  accepted  by  the  Conventions  of 
different  States,  and  the  ratification  of  nine  of  them 
gave  it  validity  and  effect.  Under  its  provisions, 
Congress  passed  an  act  by  which  the  people  through- 
out the  Union  were,  on  a  certain  day,  to  appoint 
electors  to  choose  a  President  of  the  United  States, 
according  to  the  Constitution,  and  another  day  for 
the  electors  to  convene  and  vote  for  the  person  ap- 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  321 

by  the  nation.  The  first  of  these  elections 
was  to  be  held  on  the  first  "Wednesday  in  February, 
1789 ;  the  other  on  the  first  Wednesday  of  the  en- 
suing March. 

Since  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution,  the  public 
choice  was  centered  upon  Washington  as  the  first  Pre- 
sident of  the  United  States ;  and  the  conviction  was 
universal  that  he  was  the  only  person  in  whom  the 
country  could  place  unlimited  and  harmonious  confi- 
dence. His  reluctance  to  mingle  again  in  public  life 
was  well  known,  yet  it  was  also  believed  that  the 
call  of  his  country  would  never  be  heard  by  him  in 
vain.  The  day  of  election  arrived ;  the  electors  as- 
sembled ;  the  vote  was  taken  ;  and  George  Washing- 
ton was  chosen  President  of  the  United  States,  and 
John  Adams  Vice-President. 

A  messenger  was  despatched  to  Mount  Vernon 
bearing  a  letter  from  the  President  of  the  Senate,  by 
which  General  Washington  was  officially  informed  of 
his  election  ;  and  two  days  after,  on  the  16th  of  April, 
he  departed  for  New  York,  at  that  time  the  seat  of 
Congress.  His  feelings  are  thus  portrayed  by  his  own 
hand:  "About  ten  o'clock  I  bade  adieu  to  Mount 
Vernon,  to  private  life,  and  to  domestic  felicity ;  and, 
with  a  mind  oppressed  with  more  anxious  and  pain- 
ful sensations  than  I  have  words  to  express,  set  out 
for  New  York  in  company  with  Mr.  Thompson  arid 
Colonel  Humphreys,  with  the  best  disposition  to  ren- 
der service  to  my  country  in  obedience  to  its  call,  and 
with  less  hope  of  answering  its  expectations."*  His 

*  Immediately  before  his  departure  to  New  York  to  assume  the 
duties  of  the  Presidency,  Washington  hastened  to  Fredericksburg, 

V 


522  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

whole  journey  to  Congress  was  attended  by  every 
possible  demonstration  of  popular  respect  and  admi- 
ration ;  and  he  was  met  in  New  Jersey  by  three  mem- 
bers of  the  Senate,  and  five  of  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives, who,  as  a  Committee  from  Congress,  at- 
tended his  public  entry  to  New  York.  Processions, 
illuminations,  and  firing  of  guns,  with  the  concourse 
of  vast  numbers  of  the  inhabitants  who  poured  forth 
on  the  occasion,  hailed  the  public  advent  of  the  first 
President  of  the  United  States.  On  the  30th  of  April, 
1789,  amid  the  exercises  of  devotion,  the  ceremonial 
that  attends  the  high  station,  the  escort  of  troops, 
and  the  crowding  of  multitudes,  the  oath  of  office 
was  publicly  administered ;  and  the  man  whose  vir- 
tues had  saved  the  country  in  war,  was  now  to  sustain 
its  interests  in  the  not  less  trying  scenes  of  political 
conflict.  "With  sentiments  of  sincere  dependence  on 
the  Almighty  ;  with  the  intimation  that  he  would 
accept  no  compensation  but  the  payment  of  his  ex- 
penses ;  uttered  in  a  speech  which  indicated  at  once 
his  deep  emotions,  the  ardor  of  his  zeal  in  his  coun- 
try's cause,  and  his  modest  opinion  of  his  own 

where  his  venerable  mother  still  resided,  at  an  extremely  advanced 
age,  to  bid  her  farewell.  She  was  afflicted  with  a  cancer  in  the 
breast;  and  it  was  probable  that  they  would  never  meet  again. 
The  interview  between  them  is  described  as  having  been  affecting 
in  the  extreme.  She  bestowed  her  maternal  blessing  on  her  illus- 
trious son ;  spoke  of  the  pride  and  joy  which  she  experienced  in 
being  the  mother  of  one  who  had  accomplished  so  much  for  his 
country's  good;  while  he,  on  his  part,  promised  to  make  her  a 
speedy  visit,  expressed  a  hope  for  her  recovery,  and  consoled  her 
for  the  separation  which  his  public  duties  required  them  to  endure 
It  proved  to  be  their  last  interview. 


OFGEORGE    WASHINGTON.  323 

abilities  in  the  untried  field  before  him;  the  first 
magistrate  of  the  nation  entered  on  the  difficult 
duties  of  his  office.  No  plan  had  as  yet  been  orga- 
nized by  Congress  for  the  various  departments  of 
government ;  and  therefore  for  the  present,  business 
was  transacted  by  the  officers  who  had  previously 
been  chosen.  From  each  of  these  the  President  re- 
quested a  report  respecting  the  matters  appertaining 
to  their  duties ;  from  which  he  diligently  made  ex- 
tracts with  his  own  hand.  With  reference  to  foreign 
affairs,  which  were  the  most  difficult  and  intricate  of 
all  the  departments  of  Government,  he  visited  the 
public  archives,  examined  the  official  correspond- 
ence which  took  place  between  the  end  of  the  war 
and  his  Presidency;  and  making  copious  notes,  fami- 
liarized his  mind  with  every  important  subject.  His 
growing  attachment  to  agriculture,  when  leaving 
Mount  Veruon,  incited  him  in  the  intervals  of  public 
duty  to  mature  the  systematic  pursuit  and  study  of 
that  art;  and  he  exacted  from  the  superintendent  of 
his  estate  a  weekly  account  of  all  the  transactions  of 
each  day  upon  each  of  his  farms,  the  number  of  men 
employed,  and  every  circumstance  which  occurred. 
Thus  he  became  acquainted  with  the  entire  details, 
as  minutely  as  if  he  had  been  present;  and  he 
made  copies  of  his  letters  to  his  superintendent, 
which,  with  the  reports  received  from  him,  he  always 
put  on  file,  and  preserved.  This  practice  he  continued 
daring  the  eight  years  of  his  Presidency  ;  and  he  also 
corresponded  with  such  persons  in  Europe  and  Ame- 
rica as  were  distinguished  for  their  eminence  in  the 
art  of  agriculture. 


824  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

It  soon  became  obvious  to  "Washington  that  he 
must  appoint  certain  hours  in  which  to  receive  com- 
pany, or  he  would  never  enjoy  any  leisure  or  privacy. 
He  gave  notice,  therefore,  that  all  persons  who  chose 
to  call  on  him  might  do  so  on  Tuesdays  between  three 
and  four  o'clock.  Every  Friday  afternoon  visits  were 
received  by  Mrs.  "Washington,  at  which  the  general 
was  generally  present.  He  was  always  accessible  on 
matters  of  business  by  appointment.  He  received  no 
calls  on  Sunday;  on  which  day  he  attended  church 
in  the  morning,  and  retired  in  the  afternoon  to  his 
private  apartment.  Promiscuous  company  was  not 
admitted  in  the  evening  of  that  day,  which  he  usually 
spent  with  his  family ;  but  an  intimate  friend  was 
sometimes  received.  "Washington  was  soon  after 
seized  by  a  dangerous  illness,  in  which  he  was  at- 
tended by  Dr.  Bard,  an  eminent  physician  of  that  day. 
The  attack  was  very  severe,  confined  him  to  bed  six 
weeks,  and  it  was  six  more  before  he  regained  his 
strength.  He  had  scarcely  recovered,  when  he  was 
informed  of  the  death  of  his  mother,  who  expired  at 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two. 

Near  the  end  of  September,  1789,  Congress  ad- 
fourned  for  three  months.  They  had  been  chiefly 
engaged  in  adopting  such  measures  as  were  neces- 
sary to  the  organization  of  the  Government,  providing 
a  suitable  remedy  for  existing  evils,  and  the  establish- 
ment of  the  judiciary.  Duties  and  tonnage  on  im- 
ported goods  were  imposed,  and  some  amendments 
to  the  Constitution  were  suggested,  and  recommended 
for  adoption  by  the  States.  A  secretary  was  appointed 
to  preside  over  each  of  the  branches  of  the  govern 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  323 

mcnt,  including  the  department  of  foreign  affairs, 
afterward  termed  the  department  of  state,  comprising 
both  foreign  and  domestic  affairs ;  the  department  -of 
the  treasury;  and  the  war  department.  The  navy, 
which  was  yet  small,  was  placed  under  the  secretary 
of  war.  "Proper  persons  were  appointed  to  fill  the 
different  offices ;  and  from  the  great  experience,  the 
well-known  disinterestedness,  and  the  practical  wis- 
dom of  Washington,  it  might  be  expected  that  Con- 
gress could  rely  with  confidence  on  his  nominations. 
Thomas  Jefferson  was  appointed  secretary  of  state; 
Alexander  Hamilton  secretary  of  the  treasury ;  and 
the  post  of  secretary  of  war,  which  he  held  under  the 
Confederation,  continued  to  be  filled  by  General 
Knox.  The  office  of  attorney-general  was  conferred 
upon  Edmund  Randolph  of  Virginia.  It  was  decided 
that  the  Supreme  Court  should  consist  of  a  chief-jus- 
tice and  five  associate  justices. 

"Washington  regarded  the  Supreme  Court  as  the 
firmest  pillar  of  good  government,  and  evinced  his 
conviction  of  its  importance  by  the  appointment  of 
John  Jay  as  chief-justice,  deeming  him  qualified,  by  ' 
his  legal  ability  and  attainments,  to  occupy  the  prin- 
cipal post  in  "  that  department,  which  must  be  con- 
sidered the  keystone  of  our  political  fabric."  In  all 
his  appointments  to  offices,  the  President  acted  on  the 
same  uniform  principle  which  regulated  his  conduct 
from  first  to  last  —  a  regard  for  the  public  good. 
With  respect  to  qualifications  for  office,  he  considered 
three  things  as  essential :  the  personal  fitness  of  can- 
didates, their  comparative  claims,  and  the  distribu- 
28 


326  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

tion  of  appointments  in  equal  proportions  between 
persons  from  the  different  States. 

In  the  recess  of  Congress  the  President  made  a 
tour  of  the  Eastern  States,  for  the  promotion  of  hia 
health,  observation  of  the  people's  condition,  their 
appreciation  of  the  new  government,  and  for  the 
review  of  those  military  scenes  in  which  he  performed 
the  duties  of  commander-in-chief.  In  company  with 
his  two  secretaries,  Mr.  Lear  and  Mr.  Jackson,  he 
travelled  in  his  own  carriage  through  New  Haven, 
Hartford,  Worcester,  Boston,  Salem,  Newburyport,  as 
far  as  Portsmouth  in  New  Hampshire.  He  was  un- 
able to  advance  a  mile  in  any  direction  without  attract- 
ing multitudes  of  enthusiastic  admirers,  who  were 
gratified  by  a  view  of  his  person,  and  exhibited  their 
affectionate  delight  and  respectful  veneration  by 
greeting  him  with  the  most  joyful  acclamations.  He 
was  pleased  to  behold  the  improved  state  of  the 
country,  the  agricultural  prosperity,  the  abundant 
harvests,  the  flourishing  manufactures,  the  extending 
commerce,  and  the  increasing  population.  Order, 
peace,  and  contentment,  evinced  by  the  partiality  of 
the  people  to  the  Constitution,  and  their  attachment 
to  the  Government,  gave  a  guarantee  for  its  future 
security ;  and  he  returned  to  his  duties  improved  in 
health,  and  greatly  invigorated,  mentally  and  physi- 
cally. 

In  the  first  week  in  January,  1789,  the  President 
met  the  Congress  in  the  Senate  Chamber;  and  ac- 
cording to  the  custom  during  his  administration^^dej;  . 
livered  a  speech  on  the  opening  of  the  session.     This 
custom  was  afterward  changed,  and  it  became  usual 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  32T 

for  the  President  to  communicate  with  Congress  by 
messages.  Washington  also,  at  other  times,  addressed 
messages  to  that  body;  but  at  the  commencement 
of  a  session  he  always  delivered  his  views  in  person. 
After  expressing  a  general  congratulation  on  the 
prosperity  of  their  affairs,  he  recommended  to  their 
attention,  on  that  occasion,  a  better  provision  for  the 
common  defence ;  laws  for  the  naturalization  of  citi- 
zens ;  uniformity  in  the  currency,  and  in  weights 
and  measures ;  the  promotion  of  commerce,  agricul- 
ture, and  manufactures;  the  diffusion  of  science  and 
literature ;  and  lastly,  a  system  of  finance  for  the 
support  of  the  public  credit. 

A  few  days  before  the  close  of  the  last  session,  it 
was  resolved  to  make  adequate  provision  for  the 
support  of  the  public  credit;  and  the  Secretary  of 
the  Treasury  was  called  on  to  prepare  a  plan  for 
this  purpose  during  the  ensuing  session.  The  Revo- 
lution was  the  chief  source  of  the  national  debt, 
which  was  partly  foreign,  partly  domestic ;  the  first 
portion  of  it  was  due  to  France,  Holland,  and  Spain, 
and  amounted  to  twelve  million  dollars ;  the  other 
wae  due  to  individuals  in  the  United  States,  amounted 
to  forty-two  millions,  and  had  been  contracted  by 
loans  to  Government,  and  supplies  for  the  army. 
These  debts  had  been  incurred  at  the  charge  of  the 
nation ;  but  beside  these,  there  were  due  twenty-five 
millions  for  the  erection  of  works  of  defence  in  dif- 
ferent States ;  for  advanced  pay  to  soldiers ;  and  for 
supplies  of  clothing,  provisions,  and  munitions  of 
war.  General  Hamilton  recommended  the  funding 
of  all  the  debts  together,  and  that  the  Confederacy 


328  THE    LIFE    AND     T  I M  K  S 

should  become  responsible  for  tbe  wbole,  and  liqui- 
date it.  In  an  able  and  comprehensive  report  the 
Secretary  clearly  demonstrated  that  all  the  debts 
should  be  thus  assumed;  that  in  equity  no  distinc- 
tion between  these  debts  should  be  admitted ;  but 
that  as  a  matter  of  policy,  as  well  as  of  justice,  these 
obligations  should  be  paid ;  and  that  every  form  of 
government  which  aimed  at  securing  public  confi- 
dence, must  bonorably  meet  its  engagements. 

The  plan  proposed  by  the  Secretary  met  with  mucl 
opposition.  Many  persons  contended  that  the  debts 
contracted  by  Congress,  of  which  the  only  evidences 
consisted  in  the  paper  currency,  had  greatly  depre- 
ciated in  amount,  because  the  notes  had  passed 
through  many  hands  for  less  than  their  nominal 
value ;  and  that,  by  this  depreciation,  the  first  credi- 
tors and  the  intermediate  owners  had  been  heavy 
losers;  to  pay  their  full  value,  therefore,  to  the  present 
holders  would  not  be  just.  Mr.  Madison  suggested 
a  plan  by  which  the  present  holders  should  be  paid 
a  certain  portion,  the  balance  to  go  to  the  origin?,! 
holders.  This  proposition  was  rejected. 

The  disposal  of  the  State  debts  produced  a  still 
greater  sensation  in  Congress,  and  much  more  ex- 
citement out  of  it.  The  discussion  respecting  them 
revived  the  doctrine  of  State  sovereignty  and  State 
rights,  which  had  occasioned  so  much  difficulty  dur- 
ing the  war;  and  now  a  host  of  new  local  prejudices 
were  aroused,  and  invidious  comparisons  were  insti- 
tuted between  different  States.  It  was  urged  by 
some  that  each  State  was  responsible  for  its  own 
obligations ;  that  to  take  the  burden  upon  the 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  329 

nation,  was  an  act  which  Congress  had  not  the 
power  to  perform ;  and  that  such  an  assumption  of 
authority  would  be  hostile  to  the  system  and  principles 
of  republicanism.  It  was  contended  by  another  fac- 
tion, that  this  prerogative  was  expressly  invested  in 
Congress  by  the  Federal  Constitution ;  that  the  sale  of 
the  public  lands,  and  authority  to  raise  revenues  from 
imposts,  belonged  to  Congress ;  that  the  public  debts 
would  be  paid  more  promptly,  if  assumed  by  the 
nation ;  while  they  could  be  liquidated  by  the  States 
only  by  means  of  excise  duties,  or  by  direct  taxation, 
which  would  be  objectionable  in  many  respects.  The 
strongest  argument  against  the  assumption  of  the 
State  debts  seemed  to  be,  that  the  General  Govern- 
ment would  thereby  gain  an  undue  influence,  and 
State  sovereignty  would  be  annihilated. 

The  resolution  against  the  assumption  was  carried 
in  a  few  days  by  a  small  majority.  Subsequently  the 
delegates  from  North  Carolina  took  their  seats  in 
Congress;  after  which,  upon  a  motion  to  reconsider 
the  resolution,  it  was  eventually  negatived.  The  plan 
of  the  Secretary  was  ultimately  approved  by  both 
Houses  of  Congress  by  a  small  majority ;  and  its  pas- 
sage is  known  to  have  been  aided  by  the  consideration 
of  the  place  in  which  Congress  would  permanently 
sit  in  future.  The  choice  lay  between  a  site  on  the 
Delaware,  and  another  on  the  Potomac;  and  that 
question  induced  two  members  who  had  voted  against 
the  assumption,  and  who  represented  a  district  on 
the  Potomac,  to  vote  in  favor  of  the  bill.  This  law 
afterward  became  one  of  the  chief  grounds  of  accuse 
28* 


330  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

tion  against  the  administration  of  President  Wash« 
ington. 

The  foreign  relations  of  the  United  States  at  this 
period  were  in  an  unsettled  condition.  The  understand- 
ing was  good  with  France,  though  it  soon  became 
affected  by  the  French  Revolution.  A  treaty  which 
was  made  with  the  Emperor  of  Morocco,  did  not  pre- 
vent the  seizure  of  American  vessels  by  the  Algerines. 
The  British  forts  had  not  been  abandoned,  as  was 
stipulated  by  the  treaty  of  peace,  on  the  pretence  that 
the  debts  due  to  British  subjects  had  not  yet  been  paid. 
The  navigation  of  the  Mississippi  was  the  great  diffi- 
culty with  Spain,  though  others  also  existed;  and  the 
expectation  of  the  monarch  of  that  country  was,  that 
the  inhabitants  of  the  West,  wearied  with  obstruc- 
tions to  their  commerce,  would  separate  from  the 
Confederacy,  and  establish  a  distinct  republic  under 
Spanish  influence.  The  interests  of  the  country  also 
suffered,  on  account  of  certain  influences  growing  out 
of  the  relations  existing  between  England  and  Spain: 
and  the  Indians  on  the  frontiers,  though  not  at  the 
instance  of  these-  governments,  became  incensed 
against  the  inhabitants  of  the  United  States.  The 
efforts  made  to  pacify  the  Indians  did  not  succeed, 
and  the  nation  was  led  into  a  long  and  expensive  war 
with  them,  which  continued  during  a  large  portion  of 
the  administration  of  Washington  ;  which  led  to  the 
defeat  of  Generals  Harmer  and  St.  Clair,  and  which 
was  only  terminated  by  General  Wayne,  first  by  a 
victory,  and  afterward  by  a  treaty. 

At  the  opening  of  the  third  session  of  Congress  at 
Philadelphia,  Washington  returned  from  Mount  Ver 


OP    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  331 

lion,  which  he  had  visited  during  the  recess.  Two 
very  important  measures  —  the  creation  of  a  national  / 
bank,  and  the  imposition  of  a  tax  on  the  ardent  spirits  ( 
distilled  in  the  United  States — formed  the  chief  sub- 
jects of  discussion  during  this  session.  The  cabinet 
were  divided  in  reference  to  a  national  bank.  Jeffer- 
son and  Randolph  opposed  its  establishment,  because 
they  thought  it  unconstitutional;  while  Hamilton  and 
Knox  maintained  the  opposite  position.  The  opinion 
of  each  member  was  given  in  writing ;  and  the  Pre- 
sident at  last  affixed  his  signature  to  the  act  by  which 
a  bank  was  established,  with  a  capital  often  millions, 
in  which  the  Government  held  two  millions.  The  tax 
on  distilled  spirits  was  intended  to  produce  a  fund  for 
the  payment  of  a  portion  of  the  domestic  debt.  It 
encountered  much  opposition  at  first,  but  afterward 
passed,  and  received  the  approbation  and  signature 
of  Washington. 


332  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

APPORTIONMENT    BILL DIFFERENCES  IN  THE  CABINET  —  EFFECTS   Of 

THE  FRENCH  REVOLUTION DEVELOPMENT  OF  PARTIES  —  THE  CITI- 
ZEN GENET HIS  INSOLENCE WESTERN  INSURRECTION  QUELLED—- 
TREATY WITH  GREAT  BRITAIN THE  EXCITEMENT  IT  PRODUCED 

THE  PRESIDENT  REFUSES  TO  GIVE  UP  THE  PAPERS  OF  INSTRUCTION — 

HIS  FAREWELL  ADDRESS RETIREMENT  FROM  OFFICE MOUNT  VER- 

NON DANGER  OF  A  WAR  WITH  FRANCE WASHINGTON  APPOINTED 

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF  —  PACIFICATION  —  RURAL  SCENES  —  LAST  ILL- 
NESS AND  DEATH  OF  WASHINGTON. 

DURING  the  recess  of  Congress  in  March,  1791, 
Washington  made  a  tour  through  the  Southern  States, 
and  was  absent  three  months.  The  attention  of  tho 
next  session  of  the  Federal  Legislature  was  occupied 
in  enacting  laws  for  the  apportionment  of  represent- 
atives in  Congress,  in  establishing  a  uniform  system 
of  militia,  and  in  augmenting  the  army.  On  the 
adoption  of  the  Constitution,  it  had  been  enacted  that 
the  whole  number  of  representatives  should  not  ex- 
ceed one  for  every  thirty  thousand  inhabitants.  When 
the  new  bill  was  proposed,  it  was  found  that  a  large 
fraction  of  the  citizens  would  remain  unrepresented 
by  its  operation.  To  remedy  this  injustice,  a  bill  was 
introduced  fixing  the  ratio  at  thirty  thousand;  making 
this  the  divisor,  and  the  whole  population  the  divi- 
dend, the  quotient  would  give  the  entire  number  of 
representatives. 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  333 

This  bill  was  not  in  harmony  with  the  Federal 
Constitution,  in  the  opinion  of  the  President ;  as  the 
ratio  was  meant  to  apply  to  each  of  the  States  sepa- 
rately, and  not  to  the  whole  aggregate.  He  returned 
the  bill,  therefore,  unapproved ;  and  a  new  one  was 
framed  and  passed,  in  which  the  ratio  was  fixed  at 
thirty-three  thousand.  Local  jealousies  prevailed  to 
a  great  extent  during  the  discussion  on  this  bill. 
Many  wished  to  have  the  representation  as  large  as 
possible,  in  order  to  increase  the  influence  of  the  seve- 
ral States,  and  hold  in  check  the  undue  power  of  the 
Executive.  The  military  force  which  was  demanded 
for  the  protection  of  the  frontiers  against  the  Indians, 
met  with  opposition  on  the  same  grounds ;  for  by  in- 
creasing the  executive  power  it  was  thought  that  it 
might  become  hostile  to  liberty,  and  thus  the  cure  be 
worse  than  the  disease ! 

About  this  time,  very  clear  evidence  was  given  of 
the  existence  of  two  hostile  parties  in  Congress ;  one 
of  which  was  opposed  to,  the  other  in  favor  of,  the 
Administration.  It  is  probable  that  in  all  free  gov- 
ernments parties  must  exist,  and  that  their  operation  is 
not  injurious  to  the  preservation  of  liberty;  but  in 
the  present  instance  there  were  some  who  did  not 
favor  the  Federal  Constitution,  and  would  have  wholly 
condemned  the  state  of  things  existing  under  it.  This 
is  not  the  place  to  discuss  the  origin  from  which  these 
parties  sprang,  nor  the  principles  on  which  they  were 
based ;  but  it  is  very  certain  that  their  existence 
greatly  grieved,  perplexed,  and  thwarted  the  patriotic 
purposes  of  Washington. 

Differences  also  arose  between  Hamilton,  the  Sec- 


334  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

retary  of  the  Treasury,  and  Jefferson,  the  Secretary 
of  State.  These  eminent  men  differed  on  almost 
every  subject  which  was  discussed  in  the  Cabinet; 
and  they  continued  to  remain  diametrically  opposite 
in  policy  and  in  feeling,  till  they  began  to  cherish  a 
personal  hatred  toward  each  other,  which  nothing 
could  eradicate.  This  antagonism  was  deeply  la- 
mented by  Washington,  especially  as  he  entertained  a 
sincere  attachment  to  both  of  these  men,  and  believed 
both  to  be  patriotic.  Hamilton  thought  the  powers 
of  the  Constitution  were  too  weak ;  and  that,  in  the 
Administration,  the  greatest  possible  authority  should 
be  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  executive.  Jefferson  con- 
tended that  this  policy  gave  too  much  power  to  one 
officer;  and  that  the  executive  authority  should  bs  held 
in  check,  so  that  the  States,  in  their  separate  rights, 
and  the  people  in  their  liberties,  might  be  free  from 
the  danger  of  encroachment.  This  was  the  reason 
why  he  opposed  the  funding  system,  the  sssamption 
of  the  State  debts  by  the  nation,  the  national  bank, 
and  the  spirit-tax. 

The  conciliating  temper  of  "Washington  was  evinced 
in  his  letters  to  these  two  great  men.  We  introduce 
here  an  abstract,  from  a  communication  sent  to  3ach 
of  them ;  and  the  feelings  which  they  express  confer 
as  much  honor  upon  their  author,  as  any  other  por- 
tion of  his  memorable  career.  To  Jefferson  he  wrote 
as  follows,  on  the  22d  of  August,  1792 :  "How  unfor- 
tunate, and  how  much  to  be  regretted  is  it,  that, 
while  we  are  encompassed  on  all  .sides  with  avowed 
enemies  at>.d  insidious  friends,  internal  dissensions 
ohould  be  harrowing  and  tearing  our  vitals!  The 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  335 

latter,  to  me,  is  the  most  serious,  the  most  alarming, 
and  the  most  afflicting  of  the  two ;  and,  without 
more  charity  for  the  opinions  and  acts  of  one  another 
in  'governmental  matters,  or  some  more  infallible 
criterion  by  which  the  truth  of  speculative  opinions, 
before  they  have  undergone  the  test  of  experience, 
are  to  be  forejudged,  than  has  yet  fallen  to  the  lot  of 
fallibility,  I  believe  it  will  be  difficult,  if  not  imprac- 
ticable, to  manage  the  reins  of  government,  or  to 
keep  the  parts  of  it  together;  for  if,  instead  of  laying 
our  shoulders  to  the  machine  after  measures  are  de- 
cided onj  one  pulls  this  way  and  another  that,  before 
the  utility  of  the  thing  is  fairly  tried,  it  must  inevi- 
tably be  torn  asunder;  and,  in  my  opinion,  the  fairest 
prospect  of  happiness  and  prosperity  that  ever  was 
presented  to  man,  will  be  lost  perhaps  for  ever."  To 
Hamilton  he  wrote  about  the  same  time,  much  to  the 
same  purpose,  and  then  proceeds  thus  :  "  When  mat- 
ters get  to  such  lengths,  the  natural  inference  is,  that 
both  sides  have  strained  the  cords  beyond  their  bear- 
ing, and  that  a  middle  course  would  be  found  the 
best,  until  experience  shall  have  decided  on  the  right 
way,  or  (which  is  not  to  be  expected,  because  it  is 
denied  to  mortals)  there  shall  be  some  infallible  rule 
by  which  we  could  forejudge  events." 

The  term  of  office  prescribed  by  the  Federal  Con- 
stitution for  the  President  of  the  United  States,  had 
now  nearly  expired,  and  great  anxiety  was  felt  as  to 
whether  Washington  would  be  induced  to  accept  a 
re-election.  Three  members  of  the  cabinet,  Jefferson, 
Hamilton,  and  Randolph,  wrote  to  him,  and  made 
the  urgent  request  that  he  should  remain  in  office* 


336  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMEg 

another  terra ;  adding,  that  his  own  reputation,  and 
the  present  state  of  the  country,  required  him  to  do 
so.  "Washington  had  indeed  intended  to  retire  at 
that  time,  but  had  not  yet  announced  the  fact;  never- 
theless, in  consequence  of  the  solicitations  of  his 
friends,  and  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  electors,  who 
declared  him  chosen  President  a  second  time,  he  ac- 
cepted the  appointment,  and  took  the  oath  of  office, 
on  the  4th  of  March,  1793. 

The  United  States  and  France  had  preserved  the 
most  friendly  relations,  which  had  extended  to  their 
commerce.  After  the  downfall  of  Louis  the  Six- 
teenth, it  was  the  opinion  of  the  President  and  his 
Cabinet  that  the  French  nation  possessed  the  right  to 
adopt  whatever  form  of  government  they  pleased,  and 
that  other  nations  should  recognize  tl5e  existing  au- 
thority. Mr.  Morris,  the  minister  from  the  United 
States  to  France,  received  instructions  to  that  effect; 
and  the  prudence  with  which  he  avoided  committing 
his  nation,  was  a  cause  of  dissatisfaction  to  a  certain 
class  of  political  leaders,  who  pretended  that  the  United 
States  exhibited  no  sympathy  with  France  in  the 
attainment  of  her  liberties.  War  having  been  at  that 
time  declared  by  France  with  England,  there  was  an 
apprehension  that  the  country  would  be  embroiled  in 
it.  But  Washington  determined  to  observe  the  most 
rigid  neutrality.  With  this  view  he  called  a  meeting 
of  his  Cabinet  on  the  18th  of  April,  1793,  and  pro- 
posed a  series'of  questions  to  be  answered  by  them. 
These  involved  the  whole  subject  then  in  dispute. 
The  Cabinet  were  of  the  opinion  unanimously  that  the 
citizens  of  the  United  States  should  be  forbidden  by 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  337 

proclamation  to  take  any  part  on  the  high  seas 
against  any  of  the  belligerent  powers ;  and  warning 
them  against  any  act  not  consistent  with  the  conduct 
of  a  friendly  nation.  It  was  also  agreed,  that  the 
ministers  of  the  French  Republic  should  be  received. 
The  President  required  each  member  of  his  Cabinet 
to  put  his  opinion  in  writing,  and  he  then  gave  it  the 
most  studious  attention.  The  result  was  the  issuing 
of  a  proclamation  of  neutrality,  by  which  our  inter- 
course with  foreign  nations  was  to  be  regulated.  The 
United  States  being  saved  from  the  vortex  into  which 
a  foreign  war  would  have  plunged  them,  were  thus 
able,  through  the  prudence  and  political  sagacity  of 
Washington,  to  lay  the  broad  and  deep  foundations 
of  the  national  prosperity. 

This  was  one  of  the  most  important  events  con- 
nected with  "Washington's  administration ;  and  we 
cannot  wonder  at  the  excitement  which  it  produced, 
and  the  hostility  which  it  generated.  It  developed 
the  principles  then  already  at  work,  and  brought  into 
bold  outline  the  two  parties  known  as  the  Federal 
and  the  Democratic.  The  former  of  these  were 
thought  to  be  the  partisans  of  England ;  while  the 
latter  were  stigmatized  as  the  abettors  of  the  horrors 
of  the  French  Revolution.  The  President  was  able  to 
keep  aloof  from  this  rivalry  for  some  time ;  but  the 
opposers  of  his  administration  knew  that,  as  long  as 
his  character  remained  superior  to  calumny,  their 
labors  would  be  vain.  Attempts  were  therefore  made 
at  this  time  to  asperse  it. 

From  the  extravagant  attention  which  had  been 
paid  to  the  citizen  Genet,  who  came  to  the  United 
29  w 


33S  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

States  as  minister  of  the  French  Kepublic,  we  may 
judge  of  the  sympathy  which  the  American  people 
entertained  for  the  French  Kevolution.  This  indi- 
vidual, with  the  greatest  professions  of  amity  for  the 
United  States  on  the  part  of  his  Government,  had 
obtained  private  orders  and  blank  commissions,  by 
which  he  could  appoint  privateers  who  captured 
British  vessels,  and  then  brought  them  into  American 
ports.  The  British  minister  complained  of  this  abuse, 
and  demanded  restitution.  There  was  but  one  opi- 
nion about  the  matter  in  the  Cabinet  of  Washington, 
which  condemned  it  as  such  a  violation  of  neutrality 
as  must  be  prevented  by  the  American  Government. 
It  was  resolved,  therefore,  that  no  privateers  thus 
fitted  out  should  be  harbored  in  American  ports ;  and 
that  the  custom-house  officers  should  keep  a  vigilant 
watch  upon  violators  of  the  law.  It  was  also  agreed 
that  in  case  the  property  seized  was  not  restored  by 
the  captors  to  the  owners,  the  Government  should 
make  indemnification.  Genet  was  inflamed  with  in- 
dignation at  these  proceedings;  he  became  extremely 
insolent,  and  continued  to  encourage  armed  vessels  to 
sail  from  American  ports  under  the  French  flag.  He 
found,  however,  that  the  President  would  not  permit 
him  to  proceed  as  he  wished  ;  ahd  then  his  insolent 
rage  exceeded  all  bounds.  He  became  so  infatuated 
and  infuriated  as  to  accuse  Washington  of  having 
usurped  the  powers  that  belonged  alone  to  Congress; 
and  declared  his  intention  of  appealing  to  the  people. 
His  preposterous  conduct,  however,  availed  nothing, 
and  on  representation  being  made  to  the  French 
Government,  he  was  recalled.  One  of  his  projects 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  339 

was  the  establishment  of  Democratic  clubs  through- 
out the  country.  The  first  of  these  was  instituted  in 
Philadelphia  after  the  model  of  the  Jacobin  clubs  in 
France. 

That  the  American  people  suffered  so  little  injury 
from  the  baleful  influences  of  the  French  Revolution, 
and  from  the  principles  which  it  disseminated,  was 
owing  to  the  practical  sense  and  prudence  of  the  people 
on  the  one  hand,  and.  to  the  firmness  and  wisdom  of 
Washington  on  the  other.  It  seems,  indeed,  impossi- 
ble that  the  country  could  have  escaped  untold  evils 
under  the  circumstances,  had  there  not  been  the  strict- 
est neutrality  enforced.  Yet  at  that  very  time  the  Cabi- 
net was  full  of  dissention ;  the  people  were  tainted  to 
some  degree  with  French  principles ;  and  in  a  divided 
Congress,  amid  the  bitter  strife  of  parties,  and  the  ex- 
travagant misrepresentations  of  the  press,  many  per- 
sons thought  there  was  evinced  a  tendency  to  the  es- 
tablishment of  a  monarchy.  General  Knox  on  one 
occasion  showed  the  President  a  specimen  of  the 
printed  libels  which  were  then  circulated ;  and  among 
them,  a  pasquinade  called  "the  funeral  of  George 
"Washington,"  in  which  he  was  represented  on  a  guil- 
lotine. The  President  burst  forth  into  one  of  those 
transports  of  passion  which  were  beyond  his  control ; 
inveighed  against  the  personal  abuse  that  had  been 
heaped  upon  him,  and  defied  any  man  on  earth  to 
produce  a  single  act  of  his  since  he  had  been  in  the 
Government,  that  had  not  been  done  from  the  purest 
motives.  He  had  never  repented  but  once  the  having 
slipped  the  opportunity  of  resigning  his  office,  and  that 
was  every  moment  since.  In  the  agony  of  his  heart 


840  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

he  declared  he  would  rather  be  in  the  grave  than  in 
his  present  situation  ;  that  he  would  rather  be  on  his 
farm  than  be  made  emperor  of  the  world ;  and  yet, 
Baid  he,  indignantly,  they  are  charging  me  with  want- 
ing to  be  a  king ! 

Affairs  with  Great  Britain  were  at  that  time  in  a 
complicated  condition.  Mr.  Hammond  was  then  the 
resident  British  Minister,  and  Thomas  Pinckney  was 
Minister  Plenipotentiary  of  the  United  States  at  the 
Court  of  St.  James.  The  British  still  held  the  fron- 
tier posts,  and  British  officers  had  recently  impressed 
seamen  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States. 
The  orders  in  council  gave  instruction  to  British 
cruisers  to  board  all  ships  laden  with  corn-meal  or 
flour,  bound  for  any  French  port;  and  ships  of  war 
were  directed  to  detain  all  vessels  carrying  goods  pro 
duced  in  any  colony  that  belonged  to  France.  Neu- 
tral rights  were  thus  invaded,  and  this  injustice  caused 
remonstrances  to  be  made  which  were  injurious  in 
their  effects.  Congress  assembled  on  December  3d, 
1793,  and  the  President  explained  the  reasons  for  the 
course  he  had  adopted  with  foreign  powers.  He  offered 
suggestions  by  which  the  rights  of  American  citizens 
should  be  protected;  and  recommended  not  only  that 
the  country  should  be  placed  in  a  position  to  protect 
its  citizens,  but  also  to  enforce  its  just  claims. 

In  order  to  prevent  hostilities,  John  Jay  had  been 
Bent  as  envoy  extraordinary  to  the  Court  of  St.  James. 
It  was  hoped  that  no  conflict  between  the  two  nations 
might  occur,  but  it  was  agreed  to  put  the  country  into 
an  efficient  state  of  defence,  by  the  fortification  of 
the  harbors,  and  by  holding  eighty  thousand  militia 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  341 

in  a  state  of  readiness  for  service.  Additional  taxes 
were  imposed,  and  additional  galleys  were  purchased; 
while  the  duty  on  the  importation  of  arms  was  re- 
moved. This  session  of  Congress  was  protracted,  and 
its  discussions  stormy;  but  the  administration  of 
Washington  stood  unflinchingly  to  its  duty,  and  car- 
ried out  the  views  that  animated  it.  In  the  ensuing 
winter,  M.  Fouchet  arrived  as  French  Minister  to  the 
United  States;  and  Mr.  Morris  being  recalled,  Mr. 
Monroe,  an  opponent  to  the  Administration,  was 
chosen  to  succeed  him. 

Soon  after  the  adjournment  of  Congress,  an  insur- 
rection broke  forth  in  Western  Pennsylvania,  in  con- 
sequence of  a  duty  imposed  on  distilled  liquors.  The 
law  was  openly  resisted,  and  the  revenue  inspectors 
threatened  with  personal  violence  if  they  attempted 
to  discharge  their  duty.  The  discontent  had  pro- 
ceeded so  far  that  a  proclamation  was  issued,  warning 
all  persons  to  avoid  a  combination  with  the  dis- 
affected, and  calling  on  all  magistrates  to  execute  the 
laws,  and  bring  offenders  to  justice.  The  marshal,  in 
serving  bills  of  indictment  against  several  offenders, 
was  seized  and  maltreated;  and  at  length  the  evil 
had  spread  so  far  as  to  assume  a  most  serious  and 
threatening  aspect.  The  President  waited  to  ascer 
tain  whether  the  insurrection  would  be  quelled  with  - 
out  the  use  of  arms ;  and  then  determined  to  exer- 
cise his  authority  and  put  it  down  by  force.  He 
issued  a  proclamation  on  the  7th  of  August,  1794, 
and  made  a  requisition  for  militia  on  the  Governors 
of  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  and  Vir- 
ginia. Twelve  thousand  men  were  ordered  out,  and 
29* 


342  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

the  number  was  afterward  increased  to  sixteen  thou- 
sand. The  Governors  of  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jer- 
sey were  appointed  to  command  the  militia  of  those 
States;  and  the  command  of  the  whole  was  given  to 
Governor  Lee  of  Virginia.  Bedford  was  the  ap- 
pointed place  of  rendezvous,  while  that  of  the  Virgi- 
nia and  Maryland  militia  was  at  Cumberland,  where 
Will's  Creek  unites  with  the  Potomac.  The  Presi- 
dent accompanied  the.  Secretary  of  War  to  both  these 
places,  and  inspected  the  troops.  He  ordered  each 
division  to  march  across  the  Allegheny  Mountains, 
and  act  against  the  insurgents  as  necessity  might  dic- 
tate. He  saw  from  personal  examination  that  every- 
thing was  ready,  gave  his  written  directions  to  Gene- 
ral Lee,  and  then  returned  to  Philadelphia,  where  he 
arrived  after  four  weeks'  absence.  The  disaffected 
were  eventually  put  down  without  the  effusion  of 
blood. 

Before  the  end  of  the  ensuing  session  General 
Hamilton,  wrho  had  found  the  salary  of  his  office  in- 
adequate to  the  support  of  his  family,  resigned,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Oliver  Wolcott;  General  Knox 
was,  at  the  same  time,  succeeded  in  the  war  depart- 
ment by  Timothy  Pickering.  The  treaty  with  Great 
Britain  which  Mr.  Jay  had  negotiated,  arrived  in 
March,  and  the  President  summoned  the  Senate  to 
consider  its  provisions.  The  President  was  of  opinion 
that,  when  taken  altogether,  it  was  the  best  that 
could  have  been  obtained  under  the  circumstances. 
He  had  given  it  the  most  careful  scrutiny,  and 
found  it  in  some  respects  defective;  but,  on  the 
whole,  he  regarded  it  of  the  utmost  utility  to  the 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  343 

nation.  He  determined  to  affix  his  signature  to  it, 
in  case  the  Senate  gave  it  their  approval,  which  was 
necessary  according  to  the  provisions  of  the  Constitu- 
tion. The  Senate  convened  in  June ;  and  after  the 
discussions  of  a  fortnight,  they  advised  that  the  treaty 
be  ratified,  with  the  exception  of  a  single  article, 
which  allowed  trade  to  be  carried  on  between  the 
United  States  and  the  West  Indies  in  vessels  of 
seventy  tons,  conveying  the  produce  of  the  United 
States  or  of  the  Islands ;  but  forbidding  the  transpor- 
tation in  American  vessels,  either  from  the  United 
States  or  the  Islands,  of  molasses,  sugar,  coffee,  cocoa, 
or  cotton. 

Washington  determined  to  ratify  the  treaty  by 
affixing  thereto  his  signature ;  and  to  accompany  it 
with  a  memorial  against  the  article  in  question. 
Meanwhile  a  member  of  the  Senate  had  given  to  the 
editor  of  a  newspaper  a  copy  of  the  treaty ;  and  thus 
it  clandestinely  came  before  the  public,  met  with  the 
greatest  criticism  and  condemnation,  and  threw  the 
nation  into  the  most  furious  excitement.  Washing- 
ton stood  firm  in  his  position,  though  assailed  by  the 
resolves  of  meetings,  by  aspersions  on  his  character, 
and  by  the  vilest  abuse  which  was  ever  heaped  upon 
the  head  of  a  patriot.  He  signed  the  treaty,  and  soon 
the  provisional  order  was  repealed ;  and  the  country 
was  not  only  saved  from  war,  but  was  blessed  with 
unexampled  prosperity. 

The  day  after  Washington  affixed  his  name  to  thia 
memorable  treaty,  Mr.  Randolph  resigned  his  post  aa 
Secretary  of  State,  in  consequence  of  an  intercepted 
letter  of  M.  Fouchet  to  the  French  Government, 


344  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

which  excited  suspicion  in  reference  to  his  conduct 
He  had  received  the  letter  from  the  hand  of  Wash- 
ington in  the  presence  of  other  members  of  the  Cabi- 
net, and  before  them  had  been  asked  for  an  expla- 
nation. He  became  offended,  and  resigned  his  office 
on  the  same  day. 

Affairs  with  foreign  nations  afterward  became 
more  promising  in  their  aspect.  A  treaty  with  Al- 
giers led  to  the  liberation  of  American  prisoners; 
and  another  with  Spain  opened  the  navigation  of  the 
Mississippi.  These  things  were  subjects  of  congratu- 
lation to  Congress,  when  the  President  addressed 
them  on  the  opening  of  the  session  of  1796.  The 
subject  of  the  treaty  with  Great  Britain  again  came 
up  for  discussion,  and  when  presented  to  Congress  as 
ratified  by  the  monarch  of  that  country,  a  determi 
nation  became  apparent  to  refuse  the  enactment  of 
those  laws  by  which  only  it  could  be  carried  into 
effect.  The  instructions  given  to  Mr.  Jay,  and  other 
documents,  were  asked  by  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives, which  the  President  thought  he  had  no  right 
to  grant ;  and  therefore  he  firmly  declined  to  comply 
with  the  requisition.  The  members  of  the  House 
were  greatly  disappointed  and  dissatisfied ;  party 
spirit  ran  high ;  the  subject  of  the  refusal  was  fiercely 
debated  on  both  sides ;  but  in  the  end  the  necessary 
laws  were  enacted  for  the  fulfilment  of  the  treaty. 

The  second  term  of  the  presidency  of  Washington 
now  approached  its  termination ;  and  it  was  clearly 
understood  that  he  would  not  again  accept  the  office. 
He  made  an  announcement  of  this  fact  at  an  early 
day,  in  order  that  a  successor  might  be  appointed ; 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  845 

fiv«l  oil  the  15th  of  September,  six  mouths  before  the 
expuation  of  his  office,  he  delivered  his  Farewell  Ad- 
dress to  the  people  of  the  United  States.  The  dif 
ferent  States  testified  the  value  which  they  attached 
to  it,  by  causing  it  to  be  printed  and  published  with 
the  laws  enacted  by  their  legislatures.  Washington 
met  the  two  Houses  in  December,  1796,  for  the  last 
time;  and  among  the  important  counsels  which  he 
gave  them  were  measures  for  the  increase  of  the 
navy,  the  encouragement  of  agriculture  and  manufac- 
tures, the  institution  of  a  national  university,  and  the 
establishment  of  a  military  academy.  He  delivered  a 
separate  message  in  reference  to  the  relations  with 
France.  His  views  may  be  seen  by  a  brief  extract 
from  his  speech :  "  The  situation  in  which  I  now 
stand,  for  the  last  time,  in  the  midst  of  the  represen- 
tatives of  the  people  of  the  United  States,  naturally 
recalls  the  period  when  the  administration  of  the  pre- 
sent form  of  government  commenced ;  and  I  cannot 
omit  the  occasion  to  congratulate  you  and  my  coun- 
try on  the  success  of  the  experiment,  nor  to  repeat 
my  fervent  supplications  to  the  Supreme  Ruler  of  the 
universe,  and  Sovereign  Arbiter  of  nations,  that  his 
providential  care  may  still  be  extended  to  the  United 
States." 

The  French  Directory  labored,  at  this  period, 
under  the  erroneous  impression  that  the  people  of 
the  United  States  would  not  support  their  Government; 
and  this  was  confirmed  by  the  reception  which  the 
British  treaty  had  received.  They  therefore  behaved 
with  insolence,  and  rejected  the  overtures  made  to 
them ;  they  still  committed  depredations  on  Ameri- 


346  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

can  commerce  by  means  of  French  cruisers ;  and 
having  first  insulted  the  American  plenipotentiary, 
then  ordered  him  to  leave  the  territories  of  the  Re- 
public. "War  therefore  was  the  only  alternative,  and 
Congress  authorized  the  President  to  raise  an  army 
of  ten  thousand  men.  Washington,  who  had  retired 
to  the  grateful  shades  of  Mount  Yernon,  was  nomi- 
nated to  take  the  chief  command ;  but  he  accepted 
the  trust  only  in  case  of  an  actual  invasion.  He  set 
about  organizing  the  army,  in  order  to  be  prepared 
for  every  event ;  and  in  doing  so  was  much  embar 
rassed  in  regard  to  the  appointment  of  officers.  The 
second  in  command  was  to  be  the  inspector-general, 
according  to  the  appointment  tendered  to  Washing- 
ton, who  had  given  the  President  to  understand  that 
he  must  be  allowed  to  choose  his  subordinates.  Alexan- 
der Hamilton  was  accordingly  appointed  to  that  office ; 
while  Charles  Cotes  worth  Pinckney  and  Henry  Knox 
were  major-generals.  This  arrangement  offended 
Knox,  who  thought  his  services  deserved  the  first 
place.  The  details  of  the  new  army  engaged  much 
of  the  time  and  attention  of  Washington ;  and  his 
exertions  and  correspondence,  which  were  immense, 
clearly  evinced  that  growing  years  had  not  diminished 
his  zeal  or  impaired  his  faculties.  He  spent  a  month 
in  Philadelphia  with  his  generals,  engaged  in  the 
organization  of  the  army:  in  the  meanwhile  the 
French,  seeing  the  hostile  attitude  assumed  by  the 
United  States,  with  Washington  prepared  to  lead  their 
forces,  moderated  their  demands;  and  Bonaparte 
being  placed  at  the  head  of  the  Republic,  pei»ce  waa 
eventually  proclaimed  on  equitable  terms. 


OF    GEORGE    WASHING  £  ON.  847 

Washington  would  have   greatly  rejoiced  at  the 
attainment  of  this  result;  but  before  the  welcome  news 
arrived  he  was  no  more.     His  health  had  remained  ex- 
cellent and  unimpaired  after  his  retirement,  allowance 
being  made  for  the  infirmities  incident  to  his  ad- 
vanced age.     He  was  then  in  his  sixty-seventh  year, 
and  capable  of  enduring  great  fatigue.  Indeed  his  daily 
labors,  both  physically  or  mentally,  were  performed 
with  undiminished  ease  and.  vigor  ;  and  he  might  be 
regarded  as  one  who  bade  fair  to  live  to  extreme  old 
age.     On  the  12th  of  December,  1799,  he  spent  seve- 
ral hours  on  horseback,  riding  over  his  farms,  and 
directing  his   superintendent.     The  day  was   incle- 
ment ;  ne  was  exposed  to  the  rain  and  sleet,  and  be- 
came chilled  and  wet.     He  apprehended  no  danger; 
but  the  next  day  being  snowy,  he  did  not  go  abroad, 
except  for  a  very  short  time.     He  soon  experienced 
symptoms  of  a  sore  throat,  yet  he  did  not  pay  much 
heed  to  it ;  and  in  the  evening,  though  hoarse,  he  sat 
with  his  family  by  the  fireside,  and  read  aloud  from 
the  newspapers  which  were  brought  in.     He   con- 
versed cheerfully  also,  and  retired  to  rest  at  his  usual 
hour.     He  was  seized  with  ague  during  the  night, 
and  spoke  with  a  great  deal  of  difficulty.     On  the 
next  day  one  of  his  overseers  bled  him,  but  was  so 
much  agitated  that  the  general  told  him  "  not  to  be 
afraid."     The   incision  was  made,   and   the   patient 
remarked  that   "the  orifice  is   not  large  enough." 
The   blood,   however,    ran   pretty  freely ;   but  Mrs. 
Washington  directed  the  operator  to  stop  it.     There 
were  about  fourteen  ounces  taken ;  yet  the  general 
Baid,  as  well  as  he  could,  "more,  more."     External 


348  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

remedies  were  applied  to  the  throat,  but  they  gave  him 
no  relief.  Dr.  Craik,  the  family  physician,  and  two 
others,  arrived  about  nine  o'clock.  Every  possible  re- 
medy  was  then  used,  but  to  no  purpose.  Mrs.  Wash- 
ington was  desired  to  come  to  his  chamber  about  four 
o'clock;  and  he  gave  her  his  key,  with  directions  to  go 
to  his  room  and  apply  it  to  the  desk,  where  she  would 
find  two  wills,  one  of  which  had  superseded  the  other. 
He  was  then  in  perfect  possession  of  his  faculties, 
conversed  with  his  friends  as  well  as  the  nature  of 
the  disease  would  permit,  and  anticipated  his  end 
with  the  fortitude  of  a  Christian  hero.  He  suffered 
intense  pain  with  the  utmost  patience  and  fortitude ; 
and  he  sank  by  degrees  until  about  eleven  o'clock  on 
the  ensuing  night,  when  he  peacefully  expired. 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON,  349 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

PROFOUND  IMPRESSION  PRODUCED  BY  WASHINGTON'S  DEATH — ESTIMATE 

OP  HIS  CHARACTER  —  HIS  INTELLECTUAL  QUALITIES HIS  MILITARY 

TALENTS — HIS  ADMINISTRATIVE  ABILITIES HIS  CHARACTER  WHEN 

REGARDED  AS  A  WHOLE  —  PROCEEDINGS  IN  CONGRESS  IN  HONOR  OF 
HIS  MEMORY — REMARKS  OF  MR.  MARSHALL — RESOLUTIONS — ADDRESS 

OF  THE  SENATE REPLY  OF  THE  PRESIDENT  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 

FUNERAL  SERVICES  AT  MOUNT  VERNON. 

THUS  ended  the  memorable  career  of  George  "Wash- 
ington. The  report  of  his  sudden  death  threw  a  pall 
of  sadness  and  unparalleled  gloom  over  the  whole 
nation.  A  grief  so  intense  that  no  language  could 
render  fit  utterance  to  it,  pervaded  the  hearts  of 
myriads ;  and  never  before  or  since  has  the  departure 
of  any  public  man,  in  this  Confederacy,  produced  so 
profound  and  so  lasting  an  impression.  When  the 
mournful  intelligence  was  communicated  to  Congress, 
they  unanimously  passed  such  resolutions  as  were 
Buitable  to  the  occasion,  and  adopted  all  other  appro- 
priate signs  of  appreciation  and  respect  in  honor  of 
the  illustrious  dead,  who  had  assumed  the  first  and 
highest  place  in  the  affections  of  his  countrymen. 

The  personal  qualities  of  this  illustrious  man  have 
so  often  been  delineated,  that  it  seems  almost  a  super- 
fluous task  to  attempt  a  description  of  them.  His 
best  and  most  accurate  portrait  is  to  be  derived  from 
30 


350  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

the  examination  of  the  actions  which  he  performed, 
and  of  the  results  which  he  accomplished.  The  in- 
tellectual character  of  Washington  was  peculiar. 
Though  he  became  the  triumphant  hero  of  a  long 
and  arduous  war,  his  military  talents  were  not  of  the 
highest  order.  In  this  respect  he  was  inferior  to 
many  men  who,  in  the  career  of  arms,  have  achieved 
far  less  renown  than  he.  He  possessed  little  power 
of  strategy,  little  of  that  promptness  and  intuitive 
sagacity  which  enables  a  commander  to  adapt  himself 
to  the  sudden  and  unexpected  emergencies  which 
occur  in  the  crises  of  great  engagements.  In  this 
respect,  if  his  plan  of  battle  was  once  deranged  by 
unforeseen  accidents,  he  was  unable  to  readjust  the 
machinery  of  his  army,  or  to  confront  and  confound 
the  operations  of  the  foe  by  new  and  instantaneous 
combinations  adapted  to  the  emergency.  In  this  re- 
spect Maryborough,  Saxe,  Prince  Eugene,  Frederick 
the  Great,  Napoleon,  were  all  infinitely  his  superiors. 
The  chief  military  ability  of  Washington  consisted 
in  the  prudence  and  skill  with  which  he  adjusted  the 
details  of  an  assault  on  an  enemy  who  was  posted  in 
a  firm  position;  and  the  energy  and  perseverance 
with  which  he  persisted  in  the  subsequent  attack. 
Thus  he  was  triumphant  over  the  British  at  Boston 
and  Yorktown,  and  achieved  brilliant  successes  there, 
because  he  was  enabled  to  prepare  his  plans  of  attack, 
and  to  adhere  to  them,  without  the  possibility  of 
having  them  disarranged  by  sudden  and  unforeseen 
movements  of  the  enemy.  His  personal  bravery  was 
unquestionable;  and  he  faced  danger  and  death  with 
the  most  perfect  fortitude  and  indifference,  when 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  351 

honor  and  duty  required  him  so  to  do.  His  most 
prominent  characteristic  as  a  military  commander, 
was  his  prudence ;  and  it  is  prohable  that  this  solid 
quality  was  more  available,  under  the  existing  cir- 
cumstances, in  weakening  the  foe  by  long  delays,  by 
harassing  evasions,  by  cautious  postponements  of  deci- 
sive actions,  than  by  those  more  brilliant  and  showy 
talents  which  would  have  risked  the  fate  of  vast  and 
important  interests  upon  the  issue  of  a  few  rash  and 
imprudent  conflicts. 

A  prominent  element  in  the  greatness  of  "Washing- 
ton consisted  in  the  fact  that,  with  respectable  mili- 
tary talents,  he  combined  far  higher  and  greater  abili- 
ties for  the  administration  of  government.  He  was 
placed  at  the  head  of  this  Confederacy  at  the  most 
difficult  and  perilous  period  of  its  past  career ;  when 
a  thousand  hostile  and  rival  interests  among  the 
States,  and  between  the  separate  States  and  the  Fede 
ral  Government,  and  between  the  Federal  Govern- 
ment and  the  continental  troops,  and  between  several 
political  factions  in  the  Government,  rendered  it  im- 
possible so  to  steer  as  fully  to  meet  the  views  and  sat- 
isfy the  demands  of  all  parties.  Yet  that  result  was 
attained  by  Washington  in  a  remarkable  degree ;  and 
when,  after  an  administration  of  eight  eventful  years, 
he  retired  from  the  Presidency,  he  left  the  Republic 
in  a  compact  and  united  condition ;  the  community  at 
large  flourishing  and  prosperous ;  and  their  reputa- 
tion among  foreign  nations  as  a  young  and  vigorous 
empire,  unspotted,  greatly  respected,  and  destined  to 
achieve  with  the  lapse  of  time,  a  high  and  glorious 


352  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

position  among  the  oldest  communities  on  the  globe 
The  triumphs  of  "Washington  as  a  civil  and  executive 
officer  were  far  more  honorable  than  even  those  at- 
tained by  him  on  the  battle-field. 

Taken  as  a  whole,  therefore,  his  character  was  one 
of  the  most  remarkable  and  estimable  that  ever  ex- 
isted among  men.  His  predominating  political  attri- 
bute was  Patriotism.  His  leading  intellectual  faculty 
was  Sagacity.  His  chief  social  characteristics  were 
Prudence  and  Self-control.  His  prominent  moral 
qualities  were  Honesty  and  Conscientiousness.  And 
all  the  several  parts  of  his  nature  were  combined 
together  and  proportioned  in  so  admirable  and  equi- 
table a  measure,  that  he  constituted  a  grand  and 
harmonious  Whole,  such  as  is  rarely  exhibited  in  the 
chequered  annals  of  this  world's  history.  Many  great 
and  illustrious  men  have  equalled  George  Washing- 
ton in  some  one  or  other  single  quality ;  but  scarcely 
any  man  of  ancient  or  modern  times  possessed  a 
mental  and  moral  constitution  of  such  admirable  pro- 
portions, or  of  such  beautiful,  complete,  and  uniform 
development.  Nature  formed  him  truly  great ;  but  the 
peculiar  circumstances  in  which  he  was  placed — first 
of  war  and  then  of  peace  —  conspired  to  render  him, 
as  possessing  such  faculties,  greater  still;  until  his 
position  became  at  length  firmly  fixed  among  the  few 
mortals  whose  majestic  forms  loom  up  sublimely 
through  all  times  and  ages,  as  specimens  of  spotless, 
peerless,  and  almost  perfect  Humanity. 

When  the  intelligence  of  Washington's  death  was 
formally  announced  to  Congress,  Mr.  John  Marshal] 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  353 

arose  and  delivered  the  following  brief  but  appro- 
priate remarks :  * 

"The  melancholy  event  which  was  yesterday  an- 
nounced, without  doubt  has  been  rendered  but  too 
certain.  Our  Washington  is  no  more !  The  hero, 
the  sage,  and  the  patriot  of  America  —  the  man  on 
whom,  in  times  of  danger,  every  eye  was  turned  and 
all  hopes  were  placed,  lives  now  only  in  his  own  great 
actions,  and  in  the  hearts  of  an  affectionate  and  af- 
flicted people. 

"  If,  sir,  it  had  not  been  usual  openly  to  testify 
respect  for  the  memory  of  those  whom  heaven  had 
selected  as  its  intruments  for  dispensing  good  to  man ; 
yet,  such  has  been  the  uncommon  worth,  and  such 
the  extraordinary  incidents  which  have  marked  the 
life  of  him  whose  loss  we  all  deplore,  that  the  whole 
American  nation,  impelled  by  the  same  feelings, 
would  call  with  one  voice  for  a  public  manifestation 
of  that  sorrow  which  is  so  deep  and  so  universal. 

"More  than  any  other  individual,  and  as  much  as 
to  one  individual  was  possible,  has  he  contributed  to 
found  this  our  wide-spreading  empire,  and  to  give  to 
the  western  world  its  independence  and  its  freedom. 
Having  effected  the  great  object  for  which  he  was 
placed  at  the  head  of  our  armies,  we  have  seen  him 
convert  the  sword  into  the  ploughshare,  and  volunta- 
rily sink  the  soldier  in  the  citizen. 

"  When  the  debility  of  our  federal  system  had  be- 

*  The  ensuing  details  respecting  the  proceedings  in  Congress 
in  reference  to  the  death  of  Washington,  and  the  obsequies  at 
Mount  Vernon,  are  derived  from  the  Ulster  County  Gazette,  N.  Y., 
of  January  4th,  1800. 

30*  X 


854  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

come  manifest,  and  the  bonds  which  connected  the 
parts  of  this  vast  continent  were  dissolving,  we  have 
seen  him  the  chief  of  those  patriots  who  formed  for 
us  a  Constitution  which,  by  preserving  the  Union, 
will,  I  trust,  substantiate  and  perpetuate  those  bless- 
ings our  Revolution  had  promised  to  bestow. 

"  In  obedience  to  the  general  voice  of  his  country, 
calling  on  him  to  preside  over  a  great  people,  we  have 
seen  him  once  more  quit  the  retirement  he  loved,  and 
in  a  season  more  stormy  and  tempestuous  than  war 
itself,  with  calm  and  wise  determination  pursue  the 
true  interests  of  the  nation,  and  contribute,  more 
than  any  other  could  contribute,  to  the  establishment 
of  that  system  of  policy  which  will,  I  trust,  yet  pre- 
serve our  peace,  our  honor,  and  our  independence. 
Having  been  twice  unanimously  chosen  the  Chief 
Magistrate  of  a  free  people,  we  see  him,  at  a  time 
when  his  re-election  with  the  universal  suffrage  could 
not  have  been  doubted,  affording  the  world  a  rare 
instance  of  moderation,  by  withdrawing  from  his 
high  station  to  the  peaceful  walks  of  private  life. 

"  However  public  confidence  may  change  and  the 
public  affections  fluctuate  with  respect  to  others,  yet 
with  respect  to  him  they  have,  in  war  and  in  peace, 
in  public  and  in  private  life,  been  as  steady  as  his 
own  firm  mind,  and  as  constant  as  his  own  exalted 
virtues. 

"  Let  us,  then,  Mr.  Speaker,  pay  the  last  tribute  of 
respect  and  affection  to  our  departed  friend.  Let  the 
grand  council  of  the  nation  display  those  sentiments 
which  the  nation  feels. 

"  For  this  purpose,  I  hold  in  my  hand  some  reso- 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  355 

lutions,  which  I  will  take  the  liberty  to  offer  to  the 
House : 

"  '  Resolved,  That  this  House  will  wait  on  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  in  condolence  of  this 
mournful  event. 

"  'Resolved,  That  the  Speaker's  chair  be  shrouded 
with  black,  and  that  the  Members  and  Officers  of  the 
House  wear  black  during  the  session. 

"  'Resolved,  That  a  committee,  in  conjunction  with 
one  from  the  Senate,  be  appointed  to  consider  on  the 
most  suitable  manner  of  paying  honor  to  the  memory 
of  the  man,  first  in  war,  first  in  peace,  and  first  in  the 
hearts  of  his  countrymen. 

"  '  Resolved,  That  this  House,  when  it  adjourns,  do 
adjourn  to  Monday.' 

"These  resolutions  were  unanimously  agreed  to. 
Sixteen  members  were  appointed  on  the  third  reso- 
lution. 

"  Generals  Marshall  and  Smith  were  then  appointed 
to  wait  on  the  President,  to  know  at  what  time  it 
would  be  convenient  to  receive  the  House. 

"  Generals  Marshall  and  Smith  having  waited  on 
the  President  with  the  first  resolution,  reported,  that 
the  President  would  be  ready  to  receive  them  at  1 
o'clock  this  day.  The  house  accordingly  waited  ou 
him. 

"The  Speaker' then  addressed  the  President  in  the 
following  words : 

"Sin:  —  The  House  of  Representatives,  penetrated 
with  a  sense  of  the  irreparable  loss  sustained  by  the 
nation,  by  the  death  of  that  great  and  good  man,  the 


856  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

illustrious  and  beloved  Washington,  wait  on  you,  sir, 
to  express  their  condolence  on  this  melancholy  and 
distressing  event." 

"To  which  the  President  made  the  following 
reply : 

**  Gentlemen  of  the  House  of  Representatives  : 

"I  receive  with  great  respect  and  affection  the  con- 
dolence of  the  House  of  Representatives  on  the 
melancholy  and  afflicting  event  in  the  death  of  the 
most  illustrious  and  beloved  personage  which  this 
country  ever  produced.  I  sympathize  with  you  — 
with  the  nation,  and  with  good  men  through  the 
world,  in  this  irreparable  loss  sustained  by  us  all. 

JOHN  ADAMS." 

"A  message  was  received  from  the  Senate,  inform- 
ing the  House  that  they  had  agreed  to  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  joint  committee,  to  consider  a  suitable 
manner  of  paying  honor  to  the  memory  of  the  man, 
first  in  war,  first  in  peace,  and  first  in  the  hearts  of 
his  country,  and  that  they  had  appointed  even  mem- 
bers to  join  a  committee  for  that  purpose. 

"  To  the  President  of  the  United  States  : 

"  The  Senate  of  the  United  States  respectfully  take 
leave,  sir,  to  express  to  you  their  deep  regret  for  the 
loss  their  country  has  sustained  in  the  death  of  Gene- 
ral George  Washington.  This  event,  so  distressing 
to  all  our  fellow-citizens,  must  be  peculiarly  heavy  to 
you,  who  have  long  been  associated  with  him  in  deeds 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  357 

of  patriotism.  Permit  us,  sir,  to  mingle  our  tears 
with  yours :  on  this  occasion  it  is  manly  to  weep.  To 
lose  such  a  man  at  such  a  crisis,  is  no  common  cala- 
mity to  the  world :  our  country  mourns  her  Father. 
The  Almighty  Disposer  of  human  events  has  taken 
from  us  our  greatest  Benefactor  and  ornament.  It 
becomes  us  to  submit  with  reverence  to  him,  who 
*  maketh  darkness  his  Pavilion.' 

"  "With  patriotic  pride,  we  review  the  life  of  our 
Washington,  and  compare  him  with  those  of  other 
countries  who  have  been  pre-eminent  in  fame.  An- 
cient and  modern  names  are  diminished  before  him. 
Greatness  and  guilt  have  too  often  been  allied,  but 
his  fame  is  whiter  than  it  is  brilliant.  The  destroyers 
of  nations  stood  abashed  at  the  majesty  of  his  virtue. 
It  reproved  the  intemperate  of  their  ambition,  and 
darkened  the  splendor  of  victory.  The  scenes  closed, 
and  we  are  no  longer  anxious  lest  misfortune  should 
sully  his  glory ;  he  has  travelled  on  to  the  end  of  his 
journey,  and  carried  with  him  an  increasing  weight 
of  honor;  he  has  deposited  it  safely,  where  misfor- 
tune cannot  tarnish  it — where  malice  cannot  blast  it. 
Favored  of  Heaven,  he  departed  without  exhibiting 
the  weakness  of  humanity ;  magnanimous  in  death, 
the  darkness  of  the  grave  could  not  obscure  his 
brightness. 

"  Such  was  the  man  whom  we  deplore.  Thanks  to 
God,  his  glory  is  consummated.  Washington  yet 
lives  on  earth  in  his  spotless  example  —  his  spirit  is 
in  Heaven. 

"  Let  his  countrymen  consecrate  the  memory  of  the 
heroic  General,  the  patriotic  Statesman,  and  the  vir- 


358  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

tuous  Sage ;  let  them  teach  their  children  never  to 
forget  that  the  fruits  of  his  labors,  and  his  example, 
are  their  inheritance." 

To  this  address  the  President  returned  the  follow- 
ing reply : 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  Senate : 

"  I  receive  with  the  most  respectful  and  affectionate 
sentiments,  in  this  impressive  address,  the  obliging 
expressions  of  your  regret,  for  the  loss  our  Country 
has  sustained  in  the  death  of  her  most  esteemed,  be- 
loved, and  admired  Citizen. 

"  In  the  multitude  of  my  thoughts  and  recollections, 
on  this  melancholy  event,  you  will  permit  me  only  to 
say,  that  I  have  seen  him  in  the  days  of  Adversity, 
in  some  of  the  scenes  of  his  deepest  and  most  trying 
perplexities ;  I  have  also  attended  him  in  his  highest 
elevation  and  most  prosperous  felicity ;  with  uniform 
admiration  of  his  wisdom,  moderation,  and  con- 
stancy. 

"Among  all  our  original  associates,  in  the  memo- 
rable League  of  the  Continent  in  1774,  which  first 
expressed  the  sovereign  will  of  a  Free  Nation  in 
AMERICA,  he  was  the  only  one  remaining  in  the 
General  Government.  Although,  with  a  constitution 
more  enfeebled  than  his,  at  an  age  when  he  thought 
it  necessary  to  prepare  for  retirement,  I  feel  myself 
alone,  bereaved  of  my  last  brother;  yet  I  derive 
strong  consolation  from  the  unanimous  disposition, 
which  appears  in  all  ages  and  classes,  to  mingle  their 


OF    GEORGE    WASHINGTON.  359 

sorrows  with  mine,  on  this  common  calamity  to  the 
world. 

"  The  life  of  our  "Washington  cannot  suffer  by  a 
comparison  with  those  of  other  countries,  who  ha\e 
been  most  celebrated  and  exalted  by  Fame.  The 
attributes  and  decorations  of  Royalty  could  only  have 
served  to  eclipse  the  Majesty  of  those  virtues,  which 
made  him,  from  being  a  modest  citizen,  a  more  re- 
splendent luminary.  Misfortune,  had  he  lived,  could 
hereafter  have  sullied  his  glory  only  with  those  super- 
ficial minds,  who,  believing  that  character  and  actions 
are  marked  by  success  alone,  rarely  deserves  to  enjoy 
it.  Malice  could  never  blast  his  honor,  and  Envy 
made  him  a  singular  exception  to  her  universal  rule. 
For  himself  he  had  lived  enough,  to  life  and  to  glory. 
For  his  fellow-citizens,  if  their  prayers  could  have 
been  answered,  he  would  have  been  immortal.  For 
me  his  departure  is  at  a  most  unfortunate  moment. 
Trusting,  however,  in  the  wise  and  righteous  domi- 
nions of  Providence  over  passions  of  men,  and  the 
result  of  their  councils  and  actions,  as  well  as  over 
their  Lives,  nothing  remains  for  me  but  HUMBLE 

RESIGNATION. 

"  His  example  is  now  complete,  and  it  will  teach 
wisdom  and  virtue  to  Magistrates,  Citizens,  and  men, 
not  only  in  the  present  age,  but  in  future  generations, 
as  long  as  our  History  shall  be  read.  If  a  Trajan 
found  a  Pliny,  a  Marcus  Aurelius  can  never  want 
Biographers,  Eulogists,  or  Historians." 

The  ceremonies  with  which  the  "Father  of  hia 
Country"  was  entombed  at  Mount  Vernon,  were 


360  THE    LIFE    AND    TIMES 

simple  and  impressive.  The  following  description  of 
the  solemn  scene  was  written  by  an  eye  witness, 
dated  at  Georgetown,  the  20th  of  December,  1800 : 

"  On  "Wednesday  last,  the  mortal  part  of  Wash- 
ington the  Great — the  Father  of  his  Country  and  the 
Friend  of  man,  was  consigned  to  the  tomb,  with 
solemn  honors  and  funeral  pomp. 

"A  multitude  of  persons  assembled,  from  many 
miles  round,  at  Mount  Vernon,  the  choice  abode  and 
last  .residence  of  the  illustrious  chief.  There  were 
the  groves  —  the  spacious  avenues,  the  beautiful  and 
sublime  scenes,  the  noble  mansion  —  but  alas!  the 
august  inhabitant  was  now  no  more.  That  great  soul 
was  gone.  His  mortal  part  was  there  indeed ;  but 
ah!  how  affecting !  how  awful  the  spectacle  of  p-vh, 
worth  and  greatness,  thus,  to  mortal  eyes  fallei.  •— 
Yes !  fallen  !  fallen  ! 

"  In  the  long  and  lofty  Portico,  where  oft  the  Hero 
walked  in  all  his  glory,  now  lay  the  shrouded  corpse. 
The  countenance  still  composed  and  serene,  seemed 
to  be  impressed  with  the  dignity  of  the  spirit,  which 
lately  dwelt  in,  that  lifeless  form.  There  those  who 
paid  the  last  sad  honors  to  the  benefactor  of  hia 
country,  took  an  impressive  —  a  farewell  view. 

"  On  the  ornament,  at  the  head  of  the  coffin,  waa 
inscribed  SURGE  AD  JUDICTUM  —  about  the  middle  of 
the  coffin,  GLORIA  DEO — and  on  the  silver  plate, 

GENERAL 
GEORGE  WASHINGTON, 

DEPARTED   THIS   LIFE,    ON   THE    14TH   DECEMBER, 

1799,  ^Et.  68. 


OP    GEORGE    WASHINGTON. 


361 


"Between  three  and  four  o'clock,  the  sound  of 
artillery  from  a  vessel  in  the  river  firing  minute  guns, 
awoke  afresh  our  solemn  sorrow- — the  corpse  was 
moved  —  a  band  of  music  with  mournful  melody 
melted  the  soul  into  all  the  tenderness  of  woe. 

"The  procession  was  formed  and  moved  on  in  the 
following  order : 

Cavalry,    ") 

Infantry,     >   With  arms  reversed. 

Guard,       J 

Music, 

Clergy. 

"The  General's  horse,  with  his  saddle,  holsters, 
and  pistols. 


Cols. 

2 
g 

m 

8 

o> 

Cols. 

Simms, 

03 
Q 

QQ 

03 
O 

Gilpin, 

Ramsay, 

PQ 

M 

'  M 

Marsteller, 

Payne, 

& 

o 

Q 

la 
PH 

Little. 

Mourners, 
Masonic  Brethren, 
Citizens. 

<l  When  the  Procession  had  arrived  at  the  bottom 
of  the  elevated  lawn,  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac, 
where  the  family  vault  is  placed,  the  cavalry  halted, 
the  infantry  marched  towards  the  Mount  and  formed 
their  lines  —  the  Clergy,  the  Masonic  Brothers,  and 
the  Citizens,  descended  to  the  Vault,  and  the  funeral 
service  of  the  Church  was  performed. 
31 


The  firing 


362  THE    LIFE    OP    WASHINGTON. 

was  repeated  from  the  vessel  in  the  river,  and  the 
Bounds  echoed  from  the  woods  and  hills  around. 

"  Three  general  discharges  by  the  infantry,  the 
cavalry,  and  eleven  pieces  of  artillery,  which  lined 
the  banks  of  the  Potomac  back  of  the  Vault,  paid 
the  last  tribute  to  the  entombed  Commander-in-Chief 
of  the  Armies  of  the  United  States,  and  to  the  de- 
parted Hen." 


APPENDIX.1 


I. 

WASHINGTON'S  FAREWELL  ADDRESS. 

FRIENDS,  AND  FELLOW-CITIZENS: 

THE  period  for  a  new  election  of  a  Citizen,  to  ad- 
minister the  Executive  Government  of  the  United 
States,  being  not  far  distant,  and  the  time  actually 
arrived,  when  your  thoughts  must  be  employed  in 
designating  the  person  who  is  to  be  clothed  with  that 
important  trust  [2]  it  appears  to  me  proper,  especially 
as  it  may  conduce  to  a  more  distinct  expression  of 
the  public  voice,  that  I  should  now  apprise  you  of 
the  resolution  I  have  formed,  to  decline  being' con- 
sidered among  the  number  of  those,  out  of  whom  a 
choice  is  to  be  made. 

I  beg  you,  at  the  same  time,  to  do  me  the  justice 
to  be  assured,  that  this  resolution  has  not  been  taken, 
without  a  strict  regard  to  all  the  considerations  apper- 

1  The  foot-notes  which  are  here  introduced,  contain  those  altera- 
tions and  interlineations  which  were  found  in  the  manuscript  copy 
sent  to  the  printer  by  Washington.     The  contents  of  this  Appen- 
dix are  reprinted  from  the  valuable  work  issued  by  James  Lenox, 
Esq.,  of  New  York,  in  1850. 

2  for  another  term. 

(363) 


36 1  APPENDIX. 

taining  to  the  relation,  which  binds  a  dutiful  citizen 
to  his  country  —  and  that,  in  withdrawing  the  tender 
of  service  which  silence  in  ray  situation  might  imply, 
I  am  influenced  by  no  diminution  of  zeal  for  your 
future  interest,  no  deficiency  of  grateful  respect  for 
your  past  kindness;  but  [am  supported  by]1  a  full 
conviction  that  the  step  is  compatible  with  both. 

The  acceptance  of,  and  continuance  hitherto  in,  the 
office  to  which  your  suffrages  have  twice  called  me, 
have  been  a  uniform  sacrifice  of  inclination  to  the 
opinion  of  duty,  and  to  a  deference  for  what  appeared 
to  be  your  desire.  —  I  constantly  hoped,  that  it  would 
have  been  much  earlier  in  my  power,  consistently  with 
motives,  which  I  was  not  at  liberty  to  disregard,  to 
return  to  that  retirement,  from  which  I  had  been  re- 
luctantly drawn. The  strength  of  my  inclination 

to  do  this,  previous  to  the  last  election,  had  even  led 
to  the  preparation  of  an  address  to  declare  it  to  you : 
but  mature  reflection  on  the  then  perplexed  and  critical 
posture  of  our  affairs  with  foreign  Nations,  and  the 
unanimous  advice  of  persons  entitled  to  my  confi- 
dence, impelled  me  to  abandon  the  idea. 

I  rejoice  that  the  state  of  your  concerns,  external 
as  well  as  internal,  no  longer  renders  the  pursuit  of 
inclination  incompatible  with  the  sentiment  of  duty, 
or  propriety ;  and  [am  persuaded]2  whatever  partiality 
[may  be  retained]3  for  my  services,  [that]4  in  the  pre- 
sent circumstances  of  our  country  [you]  will  not  dis- 
approve my  determination  to  retire. . 

The   impressions,   [with]5  which,   I  first   [under- 

1  act  under  2  that 

8  any  portion  of  you  may  yet  retain         4  even  they         '  undei 


FAREWELL    ADDRESS.  365 

took] l  the  arduous  trust,  were  explained  on  the  pro- 
per occasion.  —  In  the  discharge  of  this  trust,  I  will 
only  say,  that  I  have,  with  good  intentions,  contri- 
buted [towards] 2  the  organization  and  administration 
of  the  government,  the  best  exertions  of  which  a  very 
fallible  judgment  was  capable  —  Not  unconscious,  in 
the  outset,  of  the  inferiority  of  my  qualifications,  ex- 
perience in  my  own  eyes,  [perhaps]  still  more  in  the 
eyes  of  others,  has  [strengthened]3  the  motives  to  dif- 
fidence of  myself;  and  every  day  the  increasing 
weight  of  years  admonishes  me  more  and  more,  that 
the  shade  of  retirement  is  as  necessary  to  me  as  it 
will  be  welcome.  —  Satisfied  that  if  any  circumstances 
have  given  peculiar  value  to  my  services,  they  were 
temporary,  I  have  the  consolation  to  believe,  that 
while  choice  and  prudence  invite  me  to  quit  the  poli- 
tical scene,  patriotism  does  not  forbid  it.  [*] 

In  looking  forward  to  the  moment,  'which  is  [in- 
tended] to  terminate  the  career  of  my  public  life,  my 
feelings  do  not  permit  me  to  suspend  the  deep  ac- 
knowledgment [of]5  that  debt  of  gratitude  which  I 

1  accepted  *  to  8  not  lessened 

*  May  I  also  have  that  of  knowing  in  my  retreat,  that  the  invo- 
luntary errors,  I  have  probably  committed,  have  been  the  sources 
of  no  serious  or  lasting  mischief  to  our  country.  I  may  then  ex- 
pect to  realize,  without  alloy,  the  sweet  enjoyment  of  partaking,  in 
the  midst  of  my  fellow-citizens,  the  benign  influence  of  good  laws 
under  a  free  government;  the  ever  favorite  object  of  my  heart, 
and  the  happy  reward,  I  trust,  of  our  mutual  cares  dangers  and 
labours. 

In  the  margin  opposite  this  paragraph  is  the  following  note  in 
Washington's  Autograph  also  erased,  "  obliterated  to  avoid  thu 
imputation  of  affected  modesty." 

6  demanded  by 
31* 


366  APPENDIX. 

owe  to  my  beloved  country, — for  the  many  honors  it 
has  conferred  upon  me ;  still  more  for  the  stedfast 
confidence  with  which  it  has  supported  me :  and  for 
the  opportunities  I  have  thence  enjoyed  of  manifest- 
ing my  inviolable  attachment,  by  services  faithful 
and  persevering,  though  [in  usefulness  unequal]1  to 
my  zeal.  —  If  benefits  have  resulted  to  our  country 
from  these  services,  let  it  always  be  remembered  to 
your  praise,  and  as  an  instructive  example  in  our 
annals,  that,  [2]  under  circumstances  in  which  the 
Passions  agitated  in  every  direction  were  liable  to 
[mislead],3  amidst  appearances  sometimes  dubious, — 
vicissitudes  of  fortune  often  discouraging, — in  situa- 
tions in  which  not  unfrequently  want  of  success  has 
countenanced  the  spirit  of  criticism  [the  constancy 
of  your  support]  was  the  essential  prop  of  the  efforts 
and  [a]4  guarantee  of  the  plans  by  which  they  were 
effected.  —  Profoundly  penetrated  with  this  idea,  I 
shall  carry  it  with  me  to  the  grave,  as  a  strong  in- 
citement to  unceasing  vows  [5]  that  Heaven  may 
continue  to  you  the  choicest  tokens  of  its  beneficence 
— -that  your  union  and  brotherly  affection  may  be 
perpetual  —  that  the  free  constitution,  which  is  the 
work  of  your  hands,  may  be  sacredly  maintained  — 
that  its  administration  in  every  department  may  be 
stamped  with  wisdom  and  virtue  —  that,  in  fine,  the 
happiness  of  the  people  of  these  States,  under  the 
auspices  of  liberty,  may  be  made  complete,  by  so 
careful  a  preservation  and  so  prudent  a  use  of  this 

1  unequal  in  usefulness  *  the  constancy  of  your  support 

3  wander  and  fluctuate  4  the 

6  the  only  return  I  can  henceforth  make 


FAREWELL    ADDRESS.  367 

blessing  as  will  acquire  to  them  the  glory  [ ]  ]  of  re- 
commending it  to  the  applause,  the  affection,  and 
adoption  of  every  nation  which  is  yet  a  stranger  to  it. 

Here,  perhaps,  I  ought  to  stop. But  a  solici- 
tude for  your  welfare,  which  cannot  end  but  with  my 
life,  and  the  apprehension  of  danger,  natural  to  that 
solicitude,  [urge  me  on  an  occasion  like  the  present, 
to  offer]2  to  your  solemn  contemplation,  and  to  re- 
commend to  your  frequent  review,  some  sentiments ; 
which  are  the  result  of  much  reflection,  of  no  incon- 
siderable observation,  [3]  and  which  appear  to  me 
all  important  to  the  permanency  of  your  felicity  as  a 
People.  —  These  will  be  offered  to  you  with  the  more 
freedom  as  you  can  only  see  in  them,  the  disinterested 
warnings  of  a  parting  friend,  who  can  [possibly]  have 

no  personal  motive  to  bias  his  counsels. [Nor  can 

I  forget,  as  an  encouragement  to  it  your  indulgent 
reception  of  my  sentiments  on  a  former  and  not  dis- 
similar occasion.] 

Interwoven  as  is  the  love  of  liberty  with  every  liga- 
ment of  your  hearts,  no  recommendation  of  mine  is 
necessary  to  fortify  or  confirm  the  attachment. 

The  Unity  of  Government  which  constitutes  you 

one  people,  is  also  now  dear  to  you. It  is  justly 

so ;  —  for  it  is  a  main  Pillar  in  the  Edifice  of  your 
real  independence;  [the  support]  of  your  tranquillity 
at  home;  your  peace  abroad;  of  your  safety;  [4]  of 

1  or  satisfaction 

'2  encouraged  by  the  remembrance  of  your  indulgent  reception 
of  my  sentiments  on  an  occasion  not  dissimilar  to  the  present,  urge 
me  to  offer 

*  and  experience  *  in  every  relation 


368  APPENDIX. 

your  prosperity  [  '  ]  ;  of  that  very  Liberty  which  you 
so  highly  prize.  —  But  as  it  is  easy  to  foresee,  that 
from  [different]2  causes,  and  from  different  quarters, 
much  pains  will  be  taken,  many  artifices  employed, 
to  weaken  in  your  minds  the  conviction  of  this  truth; 
—  as  this  is  the  point  in  your  [political]  fortress 
against  which  the  batteries  of  internal  and  external 
enemies  will  be  most  constantly  and  actively  (though 
often  covertly  and  insidiously)  directed,  it  is  of  infi- 
nite moment,  that  you  should  properly  estimate  the 
immense  value  of  your  national  Union  to  your  col- 
lective and  individual  happiness;  —  that  you  should 
cherish  [3]  a  cordial,  habitual,  and  immoveable  at- 
tachment [to  it,  accustoming  yourselves  to  think  and 
speak  of  it  as  of  the  Palladium  of  your  political  safety 
and  prosperity  ;  watching  for  its  preservation  with 
jealous  anxiety ;  discountenancing  whatever  may 
suggest  even  a  suspicion  that  it  can  in  any  event  be 
abandoned,  and  indignantly  frowning  upon  the  first 
dawning  of  every  attempt  to  alienate  any  portion  of 
our  Country  from  the  rest,  or  to  enfeeble  the  sacred 
ties  which  now  link  together  the  various  parts.] 4 — 

For  this  you  have  every  inducement  of  sympathy 
and  interest. —  Citizens  [by  birth  or  choice  of  a  com- 

1  in  every  shape  2  various  8  towards  it 

4  that  you  should  accustom  yourselves  to  reverence  it  as  the  Pal- 
ladium of  your  political  safety  and  prosperity,  adapting  constantly 
your  words  and  actions  to  that  momentous  idea;  that  you  should 
watch  for  its  preservation  with  jealous  anxiety,  discountenance 
whatever  may  suggest  a  suspicion  that  it  can  in  any  event  be  aban- 
doned ;  and  frown  upon  the  first  dawning  of  every  attempt  to  alie- 
nate any  portion  of  our  country  from  the  rest,  or  to  enfeeble  the 
sacred  ties  which  now  link  together  the  several  parts. 


FAREWELL    ADDRESS.  369 

mon  country],1  that  a  country  has  a  right  to  concen- 
trate your  affections.  —  The  name  of  AMERICAN,  which 
belongs  to  you,  in  your  national  capacity,  must 
always  exalt  the  just  pride  of  Patriotism,  more  than 
any  appellation  [2]  derived  from  local  discrimina- 
tions.— With  slight  shades  of  difference,  you  have  the 
same  Religion,  Manners,  Habits,  and  political  Princi- 
ples.— You  have  in  a  common  cause  fought  and  tri- 
umphed together.  —  The  Independence  and  Liberty 
you  possess  are  the  work  of  joint  councils,  and  joint 
efforts — of  common  dangers,  sufferings  and  successes. 

But  these  considerations,  however  powerfully  they 
address  themselves  to  your  sensibility,  are  greatly 
outweighed  by  those  which  apply  more  immediately 
to  your  interest.  —  Here  every  portion  of  our  country 
finds  the  most  commanding  motives  for  carefully 
guarding  and  preserving  the  union  of  the  whole. 

The  North  in  an  [unrestrained]3  intercourse  with 
the  South,  protected  by  the  equal  Laws  of  a  common 
government,  finds  in  the  productions  of  the  latter  [  *  ] 
great  additional  resources  of  maritime  and  commer- 
cial enterprise  —  and  precious  materials  of  manufac- 
turing industry.  —  The  South  in  the  same  intercourse, 
benefiting  by  the  agency  of  the  North,  sees  its  agri- 
culture grow  and  its  commerce  expand.  Turning 
partly  into  its  own  channels  the  seamen  of  the  North, 
it  finds  its  particular  navigation  envigorated ;  —  and 
while  it  contributes,  in  difierent  ways,  to  nourish  and 
increase  the  general  mass  of  the  national  navigation, 
it  looks  forward  to  the  protection  of  a  maritime 

1  of  a  common  country  by  birth  or  choice  2  to  bo 

3  unfettered  *  many  of  the  peculiar 

Y 


870  APPENDIX. 

Btrength  to  which  itself  is  unequally  adapted.  —  The 
East,  in  a  like  intercourse  with  the  West,  already 
finds,  and  in  the  progressive  improvement  of  interior 
communications,  by  land  and  water,  will  more  and 
more  find,  a  valuable  vent  for  the  commodities  which 
it  brings  from  abroad,  or  manufactures  at  home. — 
The  West  derives  from  the  Hast  supplies  requisite  to 
its  growth  and  comfort, — and  what  is  perhaps  of  still 
greater  consequence,  it  must  of  necessity  owe  the 
secure  enjoyment  of  indispensable  outlets  for  its  own 
productions  to  the  weight,  influence,  and  the  future 
maritime  strength  of  the  Atlantic  side  of  the  Union, 
directed  by  an  indissoluble  community  of  interest,  as 
one  Nation.  —  [Any  other] l  tenure  by  which  the  West 
can  hold  this  essential  advantage,  [whether  derived]2 
from  its  own  separate  strength,  or  from  an  apostate 
and  unnatural  connection  with  any  foreign  Power, 
must  be  intrinsically  precarious.  [3] 

[*]  While  [then]  every  part  of  our  Country  thus 
[feels]5  an  immediate  and  particular  interest  in  Union, 
all  the  parts 6  [combined  cannot  fail  to  find]  in  the 
united  mass  of  means  and  efforts  [ 7  ]  greater  strength, 
greater  resource,  proportionably  greater  security  from 
external  danger,  a  less  frequent  interruption  of  their 
Peace  by  foreign  Nations;  and,  [what  is]8  of  inesti- 
mable value !  they  must  derive  from  Union  an  ex- 

1  The  a  either 

•  liable  every  moment  to  be  disturbed  by  the  fluctuating  combi- 
nations of  the  primary  interests  of  Europe,  which  must  be  expected 
to  regulate  the  conduct  of  the  Nations  of  which  it  is  composed. 
«  And  6  finds  «  of  it 

7  cannot  fail  to  find  8  which  is  an  advantage 


FAREWELL    ADDRESS.  371 

emption  from  those  broils  and  wars  between  them- 
selves, which  [so  frequently]1  afflict  neighbouring 
countries,  not  tied  together  by  the  same  government; 
which  their  own  rivalships  alone  would  be  sufficient 
to  produce;  but  which  opposite  foreign  alliances, 
attachments  and  intrigues  would  stimulate  and  em- 
bitter. —  Hence  likewise  they  will  avoid  the  necessity 
of 'those  overgrown  Military  establishments,  which 
under  any  form  of  Government  are  inauspicious  to 
liberty,  and  which  [are  to  be  regarded]2  as  particu- 
larly hostile  to  Republican  Liberty:  In  this  sense  it 
is,  that  your  Union  ought  to  be  considered  as  a  main 
prop  of  your  liberty,  and  that  the  love  of  the  one 
ought  to  endear  to  you  the  preservation  of  the  other. 
These  considerations  speak  a  persuasive  language 
to  [every]3  reflecting  and  virtuous  mind, — [and]4  ex- 
hibit the  continuance  of  the  UNION  as  a  primary  object 
of  Patriotic  desire.  —  Is  there  a  doubt,  whether  a  com- 
mon government  can  embrace  so  large  a  sphere  ?  — 
Let  experience  solve  it. — To  listen  to  mere  specula- 
tion in  such  a  case  were  criminal. —  [We  are  author- 
ised]5 to  hope  that  a  proper  organization  of  the  whole, 
with  the  auxiliary  agency  of  governments  for  the  re- 
spective subdivisions,  will  aiford  a  happy  issue  to  the 
experiment.  'Tis  well  worth  a  fair  and  full  experi- 
ment. [6]  With  such  powerful  and  obvious  motives 

1  inevitably  2  there  is  reason  to  regard  s  any 

4  they  6  'Tis  natural 

•  It  may  not  impossibly  be  found,  that  the  spirit  of  party,  the 
machinations  of  foreign  powers,  the  corruption  and  ambition  of  in- 
dividual citizens  are  more  formidable  adversaries  to  the  Unity  of 
our  Empire  than  any  inherent  difficulties  in  the  scheme.  Against 


872  APPENDIX. 

to  Union,  [affecting]1  all  parts  of  our  country  [2] 
while  experience  shall  not  have  demonstrated  its  im- 
practicability, there  will  always  be  [reason]3  to  dis- 
trust the  patriotism  of  those,  who  in  any  quarter  may 
endeavor  to  weaken  its  bands.  [*]  — 

In  contemplating  the  causes  which  may  disturb  our 
Union,  it  occurs  as  matter  of  serious  concern,  that 
[any  ground  should  have  been  furnished  for  charac- 
terizing parties  by]5  Geographical  discriminations  — 

these  the  mounds  of  national  opinion,  nationaLsympathy  and  na- 
tional jealousy  ought  to  be  raised. 

1  as  2  have  *  cause  in  the  fact  itself 

*  Besides  the  more  serious  causes  already  hinted  as  threatening 
our  Union,  there  is  one  less  dangerous,  but  sufficiently  dangerous 
to  make  it  prudent  to  be  upon  our  guard  against  it.  I  allude  to 
the  petulence  of  party  differences  of  opinion.  It  is  not  uncommon 
to  hear  the  irritations  which  these  excite  vent  themselves  in  decla- 
rations that  the  different  parts  of  the  United  States  are  ill  affected 
to  each  other,  in  menaces  that  the  Union  will  be  dissolved  by  this 
or  that  measure.  Intimations  like  these  are  as  indiscreet  as  they 
are  intemperate.  Though  frequently  made  with  levity  and  with- 
out any  really  evil  intention,  they  have  a  tendency  to  produce  the 
consequence  which  they  indicate.  They  teach  the  minds  of  men 
to  consider  the  Union  as  precarious;  —  as  an  object  to  which  they 
ought  not  to  attach  their  hopes  and  fortunes ;  — and  thus  chill  the 
sentiment  in  its  favour.  By  alarming  the  pride  of  those  to  whom 
they  are  addressed,  they  set  ingenuity  at  work  to  depreciate  the 
value  of  the  thing,  and  to  discover  reasons  of  indifference  towards 
it.  This  is  not  wise.  —  It  will  be  much  wiser  to  habituate  our- 
selves to  reverence  the  Union  as  the  palladium  of  our  national 
happiness ;  to  accommodate  constantly  our  words  and  actions  to 
that  idea,  and  to  discountenance  whatever  may  suggest  a  suspicion 
that  it  can  in  any  event  be  abandoned.  (In  the  margin  opposite 
this  paragraph  are  the  words,  "Not  important  enough.") 

1  our  parties  for  some  time  past  have  been  too  much  character- 
ized by 


FAREWELL    ADDRESS.  373 

Northern    and     Southern  —  Atlantic    and    Western ; 
fwhence  designing  men  may  endeavour  to  excite  a 
belief  that  there  is  a  real  difference  of  local  interests 
and  views.]1     One  of  the  expedients  of  Party  to  ac- 
quire influence,  within  particular  districts,  is  to  mis- 
represent the  opinions  and  aims  of  other  districts. — • 
You  cannot  shield  yourselves  too  much  against  the 
jealousies   and  heart  burnings   which   spring   from 
these  misrepresentations;  —  They  tend  to  render  alien 
to  each  other  those  who  ought  to  be  bound  together 
by  fraternal  affection. — The  inhabitants  of  our  Western 
country  have  lately  had  a  useful  lesson  on  this  [head.]2 
—  They  have  seen,  in  the  negotiation  by  the  Execu- 
tive, and  in  the  unanimous  ratification  by  the  Seriate, 
of  the  Treaty  with  Spain,  and  in  the  universal  satis- 
faction at  that  event,  throughout  the  United  States,  a 
decisive  proof  how  unfounded  were  the  suspicions 
propagated  among  them  of  a  policy  in  the  General 
Government  and  in  the  Atlantic  States  unfriendly  to 
their  interests  in  regard  to  the  MISSISSIPPI.  —  They 

1  These  discriminations, the  mere  contrivance  of  the  spirit 

of  Party,  (always  dexterous  to  seize  every  handle  by  which  the 
passions  can  be  wielded,  and  too  skilful  not  to  turn  to  account 
the  sympathy  of  neighborhood),  have  furnished  an  argument 
against  the  Union  as  evidence  of  a  real  difference  of  local  interests 
and  views;  arid  serve  to  hazard  it  by  organizing  larger  districts 
of  country,  under  the  leaders  of  contending  factions ;  whose  rival- 
ships,  prejudices  and  schemes  of  ambition,  rather  than  the  true  in- 
terests of  the  Country,  will  direct  the  use  of  their  influence.  If  it 
be  possible  to  correct  this  poison  in  the  habit  of  our  body  politic, 
it  is  worthy  the  endeavours  of  the  moderate  and  the  good  to 
effect  it. 

*  subject 

32 


374  APPENDIX. 

have  been  witnesses  to  the  formation  of  two  Treaties, 
that  with  G.  Britain,  and  that  with  Spain,  which 
secure  to  them  every  thing  they  could  desire,  in  re- 
spect to  our  Foreign  Relations,  towards  confirming 
their  prosperity. — Will  it  not  be  their  wisdom  to  rely 
for  the  preservation  of  these  advantages  on  the  UNION 
by  which  they  were  procured? — Will  they  not  hence^ 
forth  be  deaf  to  those  advisers,  if  such  there  are,  who 
would  sever  them  from  their  Brethren,  and  connect 
them  with  Aliens  ?  — 

To  the  efiicacy  and  permanency  of  your  Union,  a 
Government  for  the  whole  is  indispensable. — No  alli- 
ances however  strict  between  the  parts  can  be  an 
adequate  substitute.  —  They  must  inevitably  experi- 
ence the  infractions  and  interruptions  which  all  alli- 
ances in  all  times  have  experienced. — Sensible  of  this 
momentous  truth,  you  have  improved  upon  your  first 
essay,  by  the  adoption  of  a  Constitution  of  Govern- 
ment, better  calculated  than  your  former  for  an  inti- 
mate Union,  and  for  the  efficacious  management  of 
your  common  concerns.  —  This  government,  the  off- 
spring of  our  own  choice  uninfluenced  and  uuawed, 
adopted  upon  full  investigation  and  mature  delibera- 
tion, completely  free  in  its  principles,  in  the  distribu- 
tion of  its  powers,  uniting  security  with  energy,  and 
containing  within  itself  a  provision  for  its  own  amend- 
ment, has  a  just  claim  to  your  confidence  and  youl 
support.  —  Respect  for  its  authority,  compliance  with 
its  Laws,  acquiescence  in  its  measures,  are  duties 
enjoined  by  the  fundamental  maxims  of  true  Liberty. 
—  The  basis  of  our  political  systems  is  the -right  of 
the  people  to  make  and  to  alter  their  Constitutions 


FAREWELL    ADDRESS.  375 

of  Government.  —  But  the  Constitution  which  at  any 
time  exists,  'till  changed  by  an  explicit  and  authentic 
act  of  the  whole  People,  is  sacredly  obligatory  upon 
all. — The  very  idea  of  the  power  and  the  right  of  the 
People  to  establish  Government,  presupposes  the 
duty  of  every  individual  to  obey  the  established  Gov- 
ernment. 

All  obstructions  to  the  execution  of  the  Laws,  all 
combinations  and  associations,  under  whatever  plausi- 
ble character,  with  [the  real]  design  to  direct,  con- 
troul,  counteract,  or  awe  the  regular  deliberation  and 
action  of  the  constituted  authorities,  are  destructive 
of  this  fundamental  principle  and  of  fatal  tendency.— 
They  serve  to  organize  faction,  to  give  it  an  artificial 
and  extraordinary  force  —  to  put,  [*]  in  the  place  of 
the  delegated  will  of  the  Nation,  the  will  of  a  party ; 
—  often  a  small  but  artful  and  euterprizing  minority 
of  the  community;  —  and,  according  to  the  alternate 
triumphs  of  different  parties,  to  make  the  public  ad- 
ministration the  mirror  of  the  ill-concerted  and  incon- 
gruous projects  of  faction,  rather  than  the  organ  of 
consistent  and  wholesome  plans  digested  by  common 
councils  and  modified  by  mutual  interests. — However 
combinations  or  associations  of  the  above  description 
may  now  and  then  answer  popular  ends,  [2]  they  are 
likely,  in  the  course  of  time  and  things,  to  become 
potent  engines,  by  which  cunning,  ambitious  and  un- 
principled men  will  be  enabled  to  subvert  the  Power 
of  the  People  and  to  usurp  for  themselves  the  reins 

1  it  2  and  purposes 


376  APPENDIX. 

of  Government;  destroying  afterwards  the  very  en- 
gines which  have  lifted  them  to  unjust  dominion. — 

Toward  the  preservation  of  your  Government  and 
the  permanency  of  your  present  happy  state,  it  is  re- 
quisite, not  only  that  you  steadily  discountenance  irre- 
gular oppositions  to  its  acknowledged  authority,  but 
also  that  you  resist  with  care  [ l  ]  spirit  of  innovation 
upon  its  principles  however  specious  the  pretexts.— 
One  method  of  assault  may  be  to  effect,  in  the  forms 
of  the  Constitution,  alterations  which  will  impair  the 
energy  of  the  system,  [and  thus  to]2  undermine  what 
cannot  be  directly  overthrown. — In  all  the  changes 
to  which  you  may  be  invited,  remember  that  time 
and  habit  are  at  least  as  necessary  to  fix  the  true 
character  of  Governments,  as  of  other  human  institu- 
tions—  that  experience  is  the  surest  standard,  by 
which  to  test  the  real  tendency  of  the  existing  Con- 
stitution of  a  Country  —  that  facility  in  changes  upon 
the  credit  of  mere  hypothesis  and  opinion  exposes  to 
perpetual  change,  from  the  endless  variety  of  hypo- 
thesis and  opinion:  —  and  remember,  especially,  that 
for  the  efficient  management  of  your  common  inte- 
rests, in  a  country  so  extensive  as  ours,  a  Government 
of  as  much  vigour  as  is  consistent  with  the  perfect 
security  of  Liberty  is  indispensable  —  Liberty  itself 
will  find  in  such  a  Government,  with  powers  properly 
distributed' and  adjusted,  its  surest  Guardian.— [It  is 
indeed  little  else  than  a  name,  where  the  Government 
is  too  feeble  to  withstand  the  enterprises  of  faction,  to 
confine  each  member  of  the  Society  within  the  limits 


to 


FAREWELL    ADDRESS.  37^ 

prescribed  by  the  laws,  and  to  maintain  all  in  the 
secure  and  tranquil  enjoyment  of  the  rights  of  person 
and  property.]1 

I  have  already  intimated  to  you  the  danger  of  Par- 
ties in  the  State,  with  particular  reference  to  the 
founding  of  them  on  Geographical  discriminations.— 
Let  me  now  take  a  more  comprehensive  view,  arid 
warn  you  in  the  most  solemn  manner  against  the 
baneful  effects  of  the  Spirit  of  Party,  generally. 

This  Spirit,  unfortunately,  is  inseparable  froin 
[our]2  nature,  having  its  root  in  the  strongest  pas- 
sions of  the  [human]  mind. — It  exists  under  different 
shapes  in  all  Governments,  more  or  less  stifled,  con- 
trouled  or  repressed;  but  in  those  of  the  popular 
form  it  is  seen  in  its  greatest  rankness,  and  is  truly 
their  worst  enemy. —  [3] 

1  Owing  to  you  as  I  do  a  frank  and  free  disclosure  of  my  heart, 
T  shall  not  conceal  from  you  the  belief  I  entertain,  that  your  Gov- 
ernment as  at  present  constituted  is  far  more  likely  to  prove  too 
feeble  than  too  powerful. 

2  human 

3  In  Republics  of  narrow  extent,  it  is  not  difficult  for  those  who 
at  any  time  hold  the  reins  of  Power,  and  command  the  ordinary 
public  favor,  to  overturn  the  established  [constitution]*  in  favor 
of  their  own  aggrandizement. — The  same  thing  may  likewise  be 
too  often  accomplished  in  such  Republics,  by  partial  combinations 
of  men,  who   though   not  in   office,  from   birth,  riches  or  other 
sources  of  distinction,  have  extraordinary  influence  and  numerous 
[adherents.]  f — By  debauching  the  Military  force,  by  surprising 
some  commanding  citadel,  or  by  some  other  sudden  and  unfore- 
seen movement  the  fate  of  the  Republic  is  decided. — But  in  Re- 
publics of  large  extent,  usurpation  can  scarcely  make  its  way 
through  these  avenues. — The  powers  and  opportunities  of  resist- 

*  order  f  retainers 

32* 


378  APPENDIX. 

The  alternate  domination  of  one  faction  over  ano- 
ther, sharpened  by  the  spirit  of  revenge  natural  to 
party  dissension,  which  in  different  ages  and  coun- 
tries has  perpetrated  the  most  horrid  enormities,  is 
itself  a  frightful  despotism. — But  this  leads  at  length 
to  a  more  formal  and  permanent  despotism. — The 
disorders  and  miseries,  which  result,  gradually  incline 
the  minds  of  men  to  seek  security  and  repose  in  the 
absolute  power  of  an  Individual :  and  sooner  or  later 
the  chief  of  some  prevailing  faction,  more  able  or 
more  fortunate  than  his  competitors,  turns  this  dispo- 
sition to  the  purposes  of  his  own  elevation,  on  the 
ruins  of  Public  Liberty. 

Without  looking  forward  to  an  extremity  of  this 
kind,  (which  nevertheless  ought  not  to  be  entirely 
out  of  sight),  the  common  and  continual  mischiefs  of 
the  spirit  of  Party  are  sufficient  to  make  it  the  inte- 
rest and  the  duty  of  a  wise  People  to  discourage  and 
restrain  it. — 

It  serves  always  to  distract  the  Public  Councils  and 
enfeeble  the  Public  administration. — It  agitates  the 
community  with  ill  founded  jealousies  and  false  alarms, 
kindles  the  animosity  of  one  part  against  another, 
foments  occasionally  riot  and  insurrection. — It  opens 
the  door  to  foreign  influence  and  corruption,  which 
n'nd  a  facilitated  access  [to  the  Government  itself 
through  the  channels  of  party  passions.  Thus,  the 

mice  of  a  wide  extended  and  numerous  nation,  defy  the  successful 
efforts  of  the  ordinary  Military  force,  or  of  any  collections  which 
wealth  and  patronage  may  call  to  their  aid. — In  such  Republics, 
it  is  safe  to  assert,  that  the  conflicts  of  popular  factions  are  tb« 
chief,  if  not  the  only  inlets,  of  usurpation  and  Tyranny. 


FAREWELL    ADDRESS.  379 

policy  and  the  will  of  one  country,  are  subjected  to 
the  policy  and  will  of  another.]1 

There  is  an  opinion  that  parties  in  free  countries 
are  useful  checks  upon  the  Administration  of  the 
Government,  and  serve  to  keep  alive  the  Spirit  of 
Liberty. — This  within  certain  limits  is  probably  true 
—  and  in  Governments  of  a  Monarchical  cast,  Patriot- 
ism may  look  with  indulgence,  if  not  with  favour, 
upon  the  spirit  of  party. — But  in  those  of  the  popular 
character,  in  Governments  purely  elective,  it  is  a 
spirit  not  to  be  encouraged. — From  their  natural  ten- 
dency, it  is  certain  there  will  always  be  enough  of 
that  spirit  for  every  salutary  purpose, — and  there 
being  constant  danger  of  excess,  the  effort  ought  to 
be,  by  force  of  public  opinion,  to  mitigate  and  assuage 
it. — A  fire  not  to  be  quenched;  it  demands  a  uniform 
vigilance  to  prevent  its  bursting  into  a  flame,  lest, 
[instead  of  warming,  it  should]2  consume. — 

It  is  important,  likewise,  that  the  habits  of  think- 
ing in  a  free  country  should  inspire  caution  in  those 
entrusted  with  its  administration,  to  confine  them- 
selves within  their  respective  constitutional  spheres ; 
avoiding  in  the  exercise  of  the  powers  of  one  depart- 
ment to  encroach  upon  another. — The  spirit  of  en- 
croachment tends  to  consolidate  the  powers  of  all  the 
departments  in  one,  and  thus  to  create,  [3]  whatever 
[the  form  of  government,  a  real]4  despotism. — A  just 

1  through  the  channels  of  party  passions.  It  frequently  subjects 
the  policy  of  our  own  country  to  the  policy  of  some  foreign  coun- 
try, and  even  enslaves  the  will  of  our  Government  to  the  will  of 
Bume  foreign  Government. 

*  it  should  not  only  warm,  but  s  under  *  forms,  a 


380  APPENDIX. 

estimate  of  that  love  of  power,  and  [ '  ]  proneness  to 
abuse  it,  which  predominates  in  the  human  heart,  is 
sufficient  to  satisfy  us  of  the  truth  of  this  position. — 
The  necessity  of  reciprocal  checks  in  the  exercise  of 
political  power,  by  dividing  and  distributing  it  into 
different  depositories,  and  constituting  each  the  Guar- 
dian of  the  Public  "Weal  [against] 2  invasions  by  the 
others,  has  been  evinced  by  experiments  ancient  and 
modern ;  some  of  them  in  our  country  and  under  our 
own  eyes. — To  preserve  them  must  be  as  necessary 
as  to  institute  them. — If  in  the  opinion  of  the  People, 
the  distribution  or  modification  of  the  Constitutional 
powers  be  in  any  particular  wrong,  let  it  be  corrected 
by  an  amendment  in  the  way  which  the  Constitution 
designates. — But  let  there  be  no  change  by  usurpa- 
tion ;  for  though  this,  in  one  instance,  may  be  the 
instrument  of  good,  it  is  the  [customary]3  weapon  by 
which  free  governments  are  destroyed. — The  piece- 
dent^4]  must  always  greatly  overbalance  in  perma- 
nent evil  any  partial  or  [transient]5  benefit  which  the 
use  [6]  can  at  any  time  yield. — 

Of  all  the  dispositions  and  habits  which  lead  to 
political  prosperity,  Religion  and  morality  are  indis- 
pensable supports.  —  In  ,vain  would  that  man  claim 
the  tribute  of  Patriotism,  who  should  labour  to  sub- 
vert these  great  Pillars  of  human  happiness,  these 
firmest  props  of  the  duties  of  Men  and  Citizens.-  - 
The  mere  Politician,  equally  with  the  pious  man, 
ought  to  respect  and  to  cherish  them.  —  A  volume 

1  the  2  from  *  usual  and  natural 

4  of  its  use  '  temporary  6  itself 


FAREWELL    ADDRESS.  381 

could  not  trace  all  their  connections  with  private 
and  public  felicity. — Let  it  simply  be  asked  where  is 
the  security  for  property,  for  reputation,  for  life,  if 
the  sense  of  religious  obligation  desert  the  oaths, 
which  are  the  instruments  of  investigation  in  Courts 
of  Justice?  And  let  us  with  caution  indulge  the 
supposition  that  morality  can  be  maintained  without 
religion. — Whatever  may  be  conceded  to  the  influ- 
ence of  refined  education  on  minds  of  peculiar  struc- 
ture —  reason  and  experience  both  forbid  us  to  expect 
that  national  morality  can  prevail  in  exclusion  of 
religious  principle. — 

Tis  substantially  true,  that  virtue  or  morality  is  a 
necessary  spring  of  popular  government. — The  rule 
indeed  extends  with  more  or  less  force  to  every  spe- 
cies of  Free  Government. — Who  that  is  a  sincere 
friend  to  it,  can  look  with  indifference  upon  attempts 
to  shake  the  foundation  of  the  fabric  ?  — 

[Promote  then  as  an  object  of  primary  importance, 
institutions  for  the  general  diffusion  of  knowledge. — 
In  proportion  as  the  structure  of  a  government  gives 
force  to  public  opinion,  it  is  essential  that  public 
opinion  should  be  enlightened.] — 1 

1  Cultivate  industry  and  frugality,  as  auxiliaries  to  good  morala 
and  sources  of  private  and  public  prosperity. — Is  there  not  room 
to  regret  that  our  propensity  to  expense  exceeds  our  means  for  it  ? 
Is  there  not  more  luxury  among  us  and  more  diffusively,  than 
suits  the  actual  stage  of  our  national  progress  ?  Whatever  may  be 
the  apology  for  luxury  in  a  country,  mature  in  the  Arts  which  are 
its  ministers,  and  the  cause  of  national  opulence  —  can  it  promote 
the  advantage  of  a  young  country,  almost  wholly  agricultural,  in 
the  infancy  of  the  arts,  and  certainly  not  in  the  maturity  of 
wealth? 


882  APPENDIX. 

As  a  very  important  source  of  strength  and  secu- 
rity, cherish  public  credit. — One  method  of  preserv- 
ing it  is  to  use  it  as  [sparingly]1  as  possible :  — avoid- 
ing occasions  of  expense  by  cultivating  peace,  but 
remembering  also  that  timely  disbursements  to  pre- 
pare for  danger  frequently  prevent  much  greater  dis- 
bursements to  repel  it  —  avoiding  likewise  the  accu- 
mulation of  debt,  not  only  by  [shunning]2  occasions 
of  expense,  but  by  vigorous  exertions  in  time  of  Peace 
to  discharge  the  debts  which  unavoidable  wars  may 
have  occasioned,  not  ungenerously  throwing  upon 
posterity  the  burthen  which  we  ourselves  ought  to 
bear.  The  execution  of  these  maxims  belongs  to 
your  Representatives,  but  it  is  necessary  that  public 
opinion  should  [co-operate.]3 — To  facilitate  to  them 
the  performance  of  their  duty,  it  is  essential  that  you 
should  practically  bear  in  mind,  that  towards  the 
payment  of  debts  there  must  be  Revenue  —  that  to 
have  Revenue  there  must  be  taxes  —  that  no  taxes 
can  be  devised  which  are  not  more  or  less  inconve- 
nient and  unpleasant —  that  the  intrinsic  embarrass- 
ment inseparable  from  the  selection  of  the  proper 
objects  (which  is  always  a  choice  of  difficulties)  ought 
to  be  a  decisive  motive  for  a  candid  construction  of 
the  conduct  of  the  Government  in  making  it,  and  for 
a  spirit  of  acquiescence  in  the  measures  for  obtaining 
Revenue  which  the  public  exigencies  may  at  any 
time  dictate. — 

Observe  good  faith  and  justice  towards  all  Na- 

(Over  this  paragraph  in  the  original  a  piece  of  paper  is  wafered, 
on  which  the  passage  is  written  as  printed  in  the  text.) 
1  little  2  avoiding  *  ioincida 


FAREWELL    ADDRESS.  38b 

tions.  [']  Cultivate  peace  and  harmony  with  all.— 
Religion  and  morality  enjoin  this  conduct ;  and  can 
it  be  that  good  policy  does  not  equally  enjoin  it?  — 
It  will  be  worthy  of  a  free,  enlightened,  and,  at  no 
distant  period,  a  great  nation,  to  give  to  mankind 
the  magnanimous  and  too  novel  example  of  a  People 
always  guided  by  an  exalted  justice  and  benevolence. 
— Who  can  doubt  that  in  the  course  of  time  and 
things,  the  fruits  of  such  a  plan  would  richly  repay 
any  temporary  advantages  which  might  be  lost  by  a 
steady  adherence  to  it  ?  Can  it  be,  that  Providence 
has  not  connected  the  permanent  felicity  of  a  Na- 
tion with  its  virtue?  The  experiment,  at  least,  is 
recommended  by  every  sentiment  which  ennobles 
human  nature.  —  Alas !  is  it  rendered  impossible  by 
its  vices? 

In  the  execution  of  such  a  plan  nothing  is  more 
essential  than  that  [permanent,  inveterate]2  antipa- 
thies against  particular  nations  and  passionate  attach- 
ments for  others  should  be  excluded;  and  that  in 
place  of  them  just  and  amicable  feelings  towards  all 
should  be  cultivated. — The  Nation,  which  indulges 
towards  another  [an]3  habitual  hatred  or  [an]4  habi- 
tual fondness,  is  in  some  degree  a  slave.  It  is  a  slave 
to  its  animosity  or  to  its  affection,  either  of  which  is 
sufficient  to  lead  it  astray  from  its  duty  and  its  inte- 
rest.— Antipathy  in  one  Nation  against  another  [5] 

1  and  cultivate  peace  and  harmony  with  all,  for  in  public  as  well 
as  in  private  transactions,  I  am  persuaded  that  honesty  will  always 
be  found  to  be  the  best  policy. 

3  rooted  8  a  *  a 

6  begets  of  course  a  similar  sentiment  in  the  other, 


384  APPENDIX. 

disposes  eacli  more  readily  to  offer  insult  and  injury, 
to  lay  hold  of  slight  causes  of  umbrage,  and  to  be 
haughty  and  intractable,  when  accidental  or  trifling 
occasions  of  dispute  occur. — Hence  frequent  colli- 
sions, obstinate,  envenomed  and  bloody  contests. — 
The  Nation  prompted  by  ill-will  and  resentment 
sometimes  impels  to  War  the  Government,  contrary 
to  [the  best]1  calculations  of  policy.  The  Govern- 
ment sometimes  participates  in  the  [national]  propen- 
sity, and  adopts  through  passion  what  reason  would 
reject;  —  at  other  times,  it  makes  the  animosity  of 
the  Nation  subservient  to  projects  of  hostility  insti- 
gated by  pride,  ambition,  and  other  sinister  and  per- 
nicious motives. — The  peace  often,  sometimes  per- 
haps the  Liberty,  of  Nations  has  been  the  victim. — 

So  likewise  a  passionate  attachment  of  one  Nation 
for  another  produces  a  variety  of  evils. — Sympathy 
for  the  favourite  nation,  facilitating  the  illusion  of  an 
imaginary  common  interest  in  cases  where  no  real 
common  interest  exists,  and  infusing  into  one  [2] 
the  enmities  of  the  other,  betrays  the  former  into  a 
participation  in  the  quarrels  and  wars  of  the  latter, 
without  adequate  inducement  or  justification:  It 
leads  also  to  concessions  to  the  favourite  Nation  of 
privileges  denied  to  others,  which  is  apt  doubly  to 
injure  the  Nation  making  the  concessions;  [3]  by 
unnecessarily  parting  with  what  ought  to  have  been 
retained,  [4]  and  by  exciting  jealousy,  ill-will,  and  a 
disposition  to  retaliate,  in  the  parties  from  whom 
equal  privileges  are  withheld ;  and  it  gives  to  ambi- 

1  its  own  2  another  *  Istly  4  2dly 


PAKEWELL    ADDRESS.  385 

tious,  corrupted,  or  deluded  citizens  (who  devote 
themselves  to  the  favourite  Nation)  facility  to  betray, 
or  sacrifice  the  interests  of  their  own  country,  without 
odium,  sometimes  even  with  popularity: — gilding 
with  the  appearances  of  a  virtuous  sense  of  obliga- 
tion, a  commendable  deference  for  public  opinion,  or 
a  laudable  zeal  for  public  good,  the  base  or  foolish 
compliances  of  ambition,  corruption  or  infatuation. — 

As  avenues  to  foreign  influence  in  innumerable 
ways,  such  attachments  are  particularly  alarming  to 
the  truly  enlightened  and  independent  Patriot. — 
How  many  opportunities  do  they  afford  to  tamper 
with  domestic  factions,  to  practise  the  arts  of  seduc- 
tion, to  mislead  public  opinion,  to  influence  or  awe 
the  public  councils  !  Such  an  attachment  of  a  small 
or  weak,  towards  a  great  and  powerful  nation,  dooms 
the  former  to  be  the  satellite  of  the  latter. 

Against  the  insidious  wiles  of  foreign  influence,  [I 
conjure  you  to]  believe  me,  [fellow  citizens],1  the  jea- 
lousy of  a  free  people  ought  to  be  [constantly]2  awake, 
since  history  and  experience  prove  that  foreign  influ- 
ence is  one  of  the  most  baneful  foes  of  Republican 
Government. — But  that  jealousy  to  be  useful  must  be 
impartial ;  else  it  becomes  the  instrument  of  the  very 
influence  to  be  avoided,  instead  of  a  defence  against 
it. — Excessive  partiality  for  one  foreign  nation  and 
excessive  dislike  of  another,  cause  those  whom  they 
actuate  to  see  danger  only  on  one  side,  and  serve  to 
veil  and  even  second  the  arts  of  influence  on  the 
other. — Real  Patriots,  who  may  resist  the  intrigues 

1  my  friends,  8  incessantly 

33  z 


386  APPENDIX. 

of  the  favourite,  are  liable  to  become  suspected  and 
odious;  while  its  tools  and  dupes  usurp  the  applause 
and  confidence  of  the  people,  to  surrender  their  in- 
terests.— 

The  great  rule  of  conduct  for  us,  in  regard  to 
foreign  nations  is,  [in  extending  our  commercial  rela- 
tions], to  have  with  them  as  little  Political  connection 
as  possible. — So  far  as  we  have  already  formed  en- 
gagements let  them  be  fulfilled  with  [  *  ]  perfect  good 
faith. — Here  let  us  stop. — 

Europe  has  a  set  of  primary  interests,  which  to  us 
have  none,  or  a  very  remote  relation. — Hence  she 
must  be  engaged  in  frequent  controversies,  the  causes 
of  which  are  essentially  foreign  to  our  concerns. — 
Hence  therefore  it  must  be  unwise  in  us  to  implicate 
ourselves  by  [ 2  ]  artificial  [ties] 3  in  the  ordinary  vicis- 
situdes of  her  politics,  [or]4  the  ordinary  combinations 
and  collisions  of  her  friendships,  or  enmities. 

Our  detached  and  distant  situation  invites  and  ena- 
bles us  to  pursue  a  different  course. — If  we  remain 
one  People,  under  an  efficient  government,  the  period 
is  not  far  off,  when  we  may  defy  material  injury  from 
external  annoyance ;  when  we  may  take  such  an  atti- 
tude as  will  cause  the  neutrality  we  may  at  any  time 
resolve  [upon]5  to  be  scrupulously  respected. — When 
[6]  belligerent  nations,  under  the  impossibility  of 
making  acquisitions  upon  us,  will  [not]  lightly  hazard 
the  giving  us  provocation  £ 7  ] ;  when  we  may  choose 

circumspection  indeed,  but  with  *  an          3  connection 

in  5  to  observe  8  neither  of  two 

T  to  throw  our  weight  into  the  opposite  scale ; 


FAREWELL    ADDRESS.  387 

peace  or  war,  as  our  interest  guided  by  [!]  justice 
shall  counsel. — 

Why  forego  the  advantages  of  so  peculiar  a  situa- 
tion ?  —  Why  quit  our  own  to  stand  upon  foreign 
ground  ?  —  Why,  b}~  interweaving  our  destiny  with 
that  of  any  part  of  Europe,  entangle  our  peace  and 
prosperity  in  the  toils  of  European  ambition,  rival- 
ship,  interest,  humour  or  caprice  ?  — 

'Tis  our  true  policy  to  steer  clear  of  permanent  alli- 
ances, [ 2  ]  with  any  portion  of  the  foreign  world ;  — 
so  far,  I  mean,  as  we  are  now  at  liberty  to  do  it  —  for 
let  me  not  be  understood  as  capable  of  patronizing 
infidelity  to  [existing]3  engagements,  ([I  hold  the 
maxim  no  less  applicable  to  public  than  to  private 
affairs]4  that  honesty  is  [always]  the  best  policy.) — [I 
repeat  it  therefore  let  those  engagements] 5  be  observed 
in  their  genuine  .sense. — But  in  my  opinion  it  is  un- 
necessary and  would  be  unwise  to  extend  them. — 

Taking  care  always  to  keep  ourselves,  by  suitable 
establishments,  on  a  respectably  defensive  posture, 
we  may  safely  trust  to  [temporary]6  alliances  for  ex- 
traordinary emergencies. 

Harmony,  liberal  intercourse  with  all  Nations,  are 
recommended  by  policy,  humanity  and  interest. — But 
even  our  commercial  policy  should  hold  an  equal  and 
impartial  hand:  —  neither  seeking  nor  granting  ex- 
clusive favours  or  preferences ;  —  consulting  the  natu- 
ral course  of  things;  —  diffusing  and  diversifying  by 
gentle  means  the  streams  of  commerce,  but  forcing 

1  our  2  intimate  connections  3  pre-existing 

*  for  I  hold  it  to  be  as  true  in  public,  as  in  private  transaction^ 

•  those  must  6  occasional 


888  APPENDIX. 

nothing;  —  establishing  with  Powers  so  disposed  — 
in  order  to  give  to  trade  a  stable  course,  to  define  the 
rights  of  our  Merchants,  and  to  enable  the  Govern 
ment  to  support  them  —  conventional  rules  of  inter- 
course, the  best  that  present  circumstances  and  mu- 
tual opinion  will  permit ;  but  temporary,  and  liable 
to  be  from  time  to  time  abandoned  or  varied,  as  ex- 
perience and  circumstances  shall  dictate ;  constantly 
keeping  in  view,  that  'tis  folly  in  one  nation  to  look 
for  disinterested  favors  [from] l  another, — that  it  must 
pay  with  a  portion  of  its  independence  for  whatever 
it  may  accept  under  that  character  —  that  by  such 
acceptance,  it  may  place  itself  in  the  condition  of 
having  given  equivalents  for  nominal  favours  and  yet 
of  being  reproached  with  ingratitude  for  not  giving 
more. — There  can  be  no  greater  error  than  to  expect, 
or  calculate  upon  real  favours  from  Nation  to  Nation. 
— 'Tis  an  illusion  which  experience  must  cure,  which 
a  just  pride  ought  to  discard. 

In  offering  to  you,  my  Countrymen,  these  counsels 
of  an  old  and  affectionate  friend,  I  dare  not  hope  they 
will  make  the  strong  and  lasting  impression,  I  could 
wish, — that  they  will  controul  the  usual  current  of 
the  passions,  or  prevent  our  Nation  from  running  the 
course  which  has  hitherto  marked  the  destiny  of  Na- 
tions.— But  if  I  may  even  flatter  myself,  that  they 
may  be  productive  of  some  partial  benefit;  some  occa- 
sional good ;  that  they  may  now  and  then  recur  to 
moderate  the  fury  of  party  spirit,  to  warn  against  the 
mischiefs  of  foreign  intrigue,  to  guard  against  the 


at 


FAREWELL    ADDRESS.  389 

impostures  of  pretended  patriotism,  this  hope  will  be 
a  full  recompense  for  the  solicitude  for  your  welfare, 
by  which  they  have  been  dictated. — 

How  far  in  the  discharge  of  my  official  duties,  1 
have  been  guided  by  the  principles  which  have  been 
delineated,  the  public  Records  and  other  evidence? 
of  my  conduct  must  witness  to  You,  and  to  the  World 
— To  myself,  the  assurance  of  my  own  conscience  is 
that  I  have  at  least  believed  myself  to  be  guided  by 
them. 

In  relation  to  the  still  subsisting  "War  in  Europe, 
my  Proclamation  of  the  22d  of  April  1793  is  the  index 
to  my  plan. — Sanctioned  by  your  approving  voice 
and  by  that  of  Your  Representatives  in  both  Houses 
of  Congress,  the  spirit  of  that  measure  has  continu- 
ally governed  me :  —  uninfluenced  by  any  attempts 
to  deter  or  divert  me  from  it. 

After  deliberate  examination  with  the  aid  of  the 
best  lights  I  could  obtain,  [ l  ]  I  was  well  satisfied 
that  our  country,  under  all  the  circumstances  of  the 
case,  had  a  right  to  take,  and  was  bound  in  duty  and 
interest,  to  take  a  Neutral  position. — Having  taken 
it,  I  determined,  as  far  as  should  depend  upon  me,  to 
maintain  it,  with  moderation,  perseverance  and  firm- 
ness.— 

[The  considerations  which  respect  the  right  to  hold 
this  conduct,  [it  is  not  necessary]2  on  this  occasion 
[to  detail.]  I  will  only  observe,  that  according  to  my 

( l  and  from  men  disagreeing  in  their  impressions  of  the  origin, 
progress,  and  nature  of  that  war,) 

2  some  of  them  of  a  delicate  nature  would  be  improperly  th« 
subject  of  explanation 
33* 


390  APPENDIX. 

understanding  of  the  matter,  that  right,  so  far  from 
being  denied  by  any  of  the  Belligerent  Powers,  ha3 
been  virtually  admitted  by  all. — ] ' 

The  duty  of  holding  a  neutral  conduct  may  be  in- 
ferred, without  anything  more,  from  the  obligation 
which  justice  and  humanity  impose  on  every  Nation, 
in  cases  in  which  it  is  free  to  act,  to  maintain  invio- 
late the  relations  of  Peace  and  Amity  towards  other 
Nations. — 

The  inducements  of  interest  for  observing  that  con- 
duct, will  best  be  referred  to  your  own  reflections  and 

experience. With  me,  a  predominant  motive  has 

been  to  endeavour  to  gain  time  to  our  country  to  set- 
tle and  mature  its  yet  recent  institutions,  and  to  pro- 
gress without  interruption  to  that  degree  of  strength 
and  consistency,  which  is  necessary  to  give  it,  hu- 
manly speaking,  the  command  of  its  own  fortunes. 

1  The  considerations  which  respect  the  right  to  hold  this  con- 
duct, some  of  them  of  a  delicate  nature,  would  be  improperly  the 
subject  of  explanation  on  this  occasion.  I  will  barely  observe  that 
according  to  my  understanding  of  the  matter,  that  right  so  far 
from  being  denied  by  any  belligerent  Power,  has  been  virtually 
admitted  by  all. — 

This  paragraph  is  then  erased  from  the  word  "  conduct,"  and 
the  following  sentence  interlined,  "  would  be  improperly  the  sub- 
ject of  particular  discussion  on  this  occasion.  I  will  barely  ob- 
serve that  to  me  they  appear  to  be  warranted  by  well-established 
principles  of  the  Laws  of  Nations  as  applicable  to  the  nature  of 
our  alliance  with  France  in  connection  with  the  circumstances  of 
the  War,  and  the  relative  situation  of  the  contending  Parties. 

A  piece  of  paper  is  afterwards  wafered  over  both,  on  which  the 
paragraph  as  it  stands  in  the  text  is  written,  and  on  the  margin  is 
the  following  note :  "  This  is  the  first  draft,  and  it  is  questionable 
Which  of  the  two  is  to  be  preferred." 


FAREWELL    ADDRESS.  391 

Though  in  reviewing  the  incidents  of  my  Admin- 
istration, I  am  unconscious  of  intentional  error  —  I 
am  nevertheless  too  sensible  of  my  defects  not  to 
think  it  probable  that  I  [may]  have  committed  many 
errors. — [Whatever  they  may  be  I] 1  fervently  beseech 
the  Almighty  to  avert  or  mitigate  [the  evils  to  which 
they  may  tend.]2 — I  shall  also  carry  with  me  the  hope 
that  my  country  will  never  cease  to  view  them  with 
indulgence ;  and  that  after  forty-five  years  of  my  life 
dedicated  to  its  service,  with  an  upright  zeal,  the 
faults  of  incompetent  abilities  will  be  consigned  to 
oblivion,  as  myself  must  soon  be  to  the  mansions  of 
rest.  [3] 

Relying  on  its  kindness  in  this  as  in  other  things, 
and  actuated  by  that  fervent  love  towards  it,  which  is 
so  natural  to  a  man,  who  views  in  it  the  native  soil 

1 1  deprecate  the  evils  to  which  they  may  tend,  and 

2  them 

8  May  I  without  the  charge  of  ostentation  add,  that  neither  am- 
bition nor  interest  has  been  the  impelling  cause  of  my  actions  — 
that  I  have  never  designedly  misused  any  power  confided  to  me 
nor  hesitated  to  use  one,  where  I  thought  it  could  redound  to  your 
benefit?  May  I  without  the  appearance  of  affectation  say,  that 
the  fortune  with  which  I  came  into  office  is  not  bettered  otherwise 
than  by  the  improvement  in  the  value  of  property  which  the  quick 
progress  and  uncommon  prosperity  of  our  country  have  produced  ? 
May  I  still  further  add  without  breach  of  delicacy,  that  I  shall  re- 
tire without  cause  for  a  blush,  with  no  sentiments  alien  to  the  force 
of  those  vows  for  the  happiness  of  his  country  so  natural  to  a  citi- 
zen who  sees  in  it  the  native  soil  of  his  progenitors  and  himself  for 
four  generations? 

On  the  margin  opposite  this  paragraph  is  the  following  note : 
"  This  paragraph  may  have  the  appearance  of  self-distrust  and 
mere  vanity." 


392  APPENDIX. 

of  himself  and  his  progenitors  for  [several]1  genera- 
tions;—  I  anticipate  with  pleasing  expectation  that 
retreat,  in  which  I  promise  myself  to  realize,  without 
alloy,  the  sweet  enjoyment  of  partaking,  in  the  midst 
of  my  fellow  citizens,  the  benign  influence  of  good 
Laws  under  a  free  Government, — the  ever  favourite 
object  of  my  heart,  and  the  happy  reward,  as  I  trust, 
of  our  mutual  cares,  labours  and  dangers.  [ 2  ] 

G°.  WASHINGTON. 

UNITED  STATES,  \  YJQQ 
I9th   September. ) 

1  four 

1  The  paragraph  beginning  with  the  words,  "  May  I  without  the 
charge  of  ostentation  add,"  having  been  struck  out,  the  following 
note  is  written  on  the  margin  of  that  which  is  inserted  in  its  place 
in  the  text:  —  "Continuation  of  the  paragraph  preceding  the  last 
ending  with  the  word  'rest.' " 


STATEMENT    OF    ME.   CLAYPOOLB.         393 


II. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  DAVID  0.  CLAYPOOLE. 

HAVING  been  requested  by  some  very  respectal  le 
Gentlemen,  to  give  an  account  of  the  circumstances 
attending  the  first  Publication  of  the  Valedictory  Ad- 
dress of  the  late  President  Washington  to  the  People 
of  the  United  States. — I  will  now  state  them  as  accu- 
rately as  my  memory  serves  me. 

A  few  days  before  the  appearance  of  this  highly 
interesting  Document  in  print,  I  received  a  Message 
from  the  President  by  his  Private  Secretary,  Col. 
Lear,  signifying  his  desire  to  see  me.  I  waited  on 
him  at  the  appointed  time,  and  found  him  sitting 
alone  in  the  Drawing  Room.  He  received  me  very 
kindly,  and  after  paying  my  respects  to  him,  desired 
me  to  take  a  seat  near  him;  then,  addressing  himself 
to  me,  said,  that  he  had  for  some  time  contemplated 
withdrawing  from  Public  Life,  and  had  at  length  con- 
cluded to  do  so  at  the  end  of  the  [then]  present  term; 
that  he  had  some  Thoughts  and  Reflections  on  the 
occasion,  which  he  deemed  proper  to  communicate  to 
the  People  of  the  United  States,  and  which  he  wished 
to  appear  in  the  Daily  Advertiser,  of  which  I  was 
Proprietor  and  Editor.  He  paused,  and  I  took  occa- 
sion to  thank  him  for  having  selected  that  Paper  as 
the  channel  of  communication  to  the  Public,  espe- 
cially as  I  viewed  this  choice  as  an  evidence  of  his 


394  APPENDIX. 

approbation  of  the  principles  and  manner  in  which 
the  work  was  conducted.  He  silently  assented,  and 

asked  me  when  I  could  make  the  publication. 1 

answered  that  the  time  should  be  made  perfectly 
convenient  to  himself,  and  the  following  Monday 
was  fixed  on;  —  he  then  said  that  his  Secretary 
would  deliver  me  the  Copy  on  the  next  morning 

[Friday],  and  I  withdrew. After  the  Proof  sheet 

had  been  carefully  compared  with  the  Copy  and  cor- 
rected by  myself,  I  carried  two  different  Revises  to 
be  examined  by  the  President,  who  made  but  few 
alterations  from  the  Original,  except  in  the  punctua- 
tion, in  which  he  was  very  minute.  The  Publica- 
tion of  the  address  bearing  the  same  date  with  the 
Paper,  September  19th,  1796,  being  completed,  I 
waited  on  the  President  with  the  Original,  and  in 
presenting  it  to  him,  expressed  how  much  I  should 
be  gratified  by  being  permitted  to  retain  it;  upon 
which  in  the  most  obliging  manner,  he  handed  it 
back  to  me,  saying,  that  if  I  wished  for  it,  I  might 
keep  it ;  —  and  I  took  my  leave. 

Any  person  of  observation,  who  has  read  the  hand- 
writing of  President  Washington,  would,  on  seeing 
a  second  specimen,  at  once  recognize  it.  And,  as  I 
had  formerly  been  honored  by  several  written  com- 
munications from  him  on  public  business,  I  may  say 
that  his  writing  was  quite  familiar  to  me,  and  I  think 
I  could  at  any  time  and  without  hesitation,  identify 
it.  The  Manuscript  Copy  of  the  Address  consists  of 
32  pages  of  Quarto  Letterpaper,  rather  sparsely  writ- 
ten, and  with  many  alterations,  as  in  some  places 
whole  Paragraphs  erased  and  others  substituted  —  in 


STATEMENT    OF    MR.    CLATPOOLE.         895 

others  several  Lines  struck  out  —  in  others  sentences 
and  words  put  out,  and  others  put  in  their  place.  A 
critical  examination  of  it  will  show  that  the  whole 
with  all  the  corrections  from  first  to  last  was  the  work 
of  one  hand  only ;  and  I  can  confidently  assert  that 
no  other  pen  ever  touched  the  original  now  in  my 
possession  than  that  of  the  great  man  "  who  was  first 
in  the  Hearts  of  his  Countrymen." 


396  APPENDIX. 


III. 

REPORT    MADE    BY  WM.  RAWLE,  ESQ.,  TO  THE 
HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  OF  PENNSYLVANIA. 

December  16,  1825. 
CONVERSATION  WITH   DAVID   C.  CLAYPOOLE. 

HAVING  been  informed  that  Mr.  Claypoole  was  in 
possession  of  the  original  MS.  of  the  valedictory  ad- 
dress of  President  Washington,  I  had  written  to  him 
to  inquire  whether  he  was  willing  to  deposit  it  with 
the  Historical  Society.  In  a  polite  letter,  dated  Dec. 
5th,  he  declined  parting  with  it.  I  wrote  another 
letter,  expressing  a  wish  to  hear  from  himself  an 
account  of  the  conversation  he  had  with  the  Presi- 
dent in  respect  to  the  printing  the  address, — and  ha 
this  day  called  on  me,  and  related  that  the  President 
having  sent  his  private  secretary  to  him  desiring  to 
see  him,  he  called  at  the  appointed  time,  and  found 
the  President  alone. 

The  latter  then  informed  him  that  he  wished  him 
to  print,  in  his  daily  paper,  an  address  from  himself 
to  the  people  of  the  United  States.  Mr.  Claypoole 
answered  that  he  felt  himself  highly  favored  by  the 
selection  for  that  purpose,  as  he  considered  it  as  a 
mark  that  he  approved  of  the  mode  of  his  conduct- 
ing the  paper.  The  President  bowed,  as  assenting 
to  it,  and  asked  how  soon  it  could  be  done.  Mr. 


REPORT    OF    WILLIAM    RAWLE.  397 

Claypoole  replied  that  it  should  be  done  at  any  time 
he  would  fix.  He  requested  it  might  be  as  soon  as 
possible,  and  expressed  a  wish  to  have  the  proofs  sent 
to  him. 

The  next  morning  the  manuscript  was  sent  down 
by  the  same  person  who  brought  the  message,  and  it 
was  immediately  put  to  press  —  both  the  proofs  and 
the  revises  were  sent  to  him,  and  the  publication  ap- 
peared on  the  19th  September,  1796,  about  four  days 
after  the  first  interview. 

After  this  Mr.  Claypoole  called  on  him  with  the 
manuscript  to  return  it,  but  at  the  same  time  he  told 
the  President,  in  the  most  respectful  manner,  that  he 
should  consider  it  as  an  inestimable  favor  if  he  would 
allow  him  to  keep  it.  The  President  answered,  if  it 
would  be  any  satisfaction  to  him,  he  was  welcome  to 
it  —  and  they  then  parted  —  Mr.  Claypoole  retaining 
this  valuable  autographical  paper,  and  the  possession 
of  which  he  has  never  parted  with. 

After  relating  these  facts,  Mr.  Claypoole  produced 
to  me  the  original,  and  I  saw  with  reverence  and 
delight  a  small  quarto  book,  containing  about  thirty 
pages,  all  in  the  hand-writing  of  this  great  man.  It 
bears  throughout  the  marks  of  original  composition  ; 
there  are  many  erasures  and  interlineations — a  trans- 
position of  paragraphs,  and  other  indications  of  its 
coming  immediately  from  the  hands  of  an  unassisted 
individual.  I  counted  the  number  of  lines  in  the 
whole  work,  which  answered  to  1086,  and  of  lines 
erased  there  were  174. 

Being  perfectly  acquainted  with  the  hand-writing 
of  President  Washington,  I  am  satisfied  that  every 
34 


898  'APPENDIX. 

word  in  the  text,  whether  written  in  regular  course 
or  interlined,  is  his,  and  his  alone.  The  date,  Sep- 
tember 19,  1796,  was  the  only  part  on  which  I  had  a 
doubt,  and  of  that  I  can  only  say,  that  being  well 
acquainted  with  the  hand-writing  of  Alexander  Ham- 
ilton, I  do  not  believe  it  was  written  by  him.  It  may 
have  been  written  by  the  private  Secretary.  Mr. 
Claypoole,  however,  believes  it  to  have  been  in  the 
hand-writing  of  the  President  himself. 

(Signed) 

W.  RAWLI. 


LETTER  OF  CHIEF  JUSTICE  JAY.    399 


IV. 

LETTER  FROM  CHIEF  JUSTICE  JAY  TO  RICHARD 
PETERS,  ESQ. 

PUBLISHED    IN    THE    MEMOIRS    OF    THE    HISTORICAL 
SOCIETY   OF   PENNSYLVANIA. 

BEDFORD,  March  29th,  1811. 

PEAR  SIR: 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  14th  ult.,  and 
also  the  book  on  Plaister  of  Paris,  which  you  was  so 
obliging  as  to  send  me,  and  for  which  accept  my 
thanks. 

Your  letter  conveyed  to  me  the  iirst  and  only  m- 
formation  I  have  received,  that  a  copy  of  President 
"Washington's  Valedictory  Address  has  been  found 
among  the  papers  of  Gen.  Hamilton,  and  in  his  hand- 
writing; and  that  a  certain  gentleman  had  also  a  copy 
of  it,  in  the  same  hand-writing. 

This  intelligence  is  unpleasant  and  unexpected. 
Had  the  address  been  one  of  those  official  papers 
which,  in  the  course  of  affairs,  the  Secretary  of  the 
proper  department  might  have  prepared,  and  the 
President  have  signed,  these  facts  would  have  been 
unimportant ;  but  it  was  a  personal  act  of  choice,  not 
of  official  duty ;  and  it  was  so  connected  with  other 
obvious  considerations  as  that  he  only  could  with 
propriety  write  it.  In  my  opinion  President  Wash- 
ington must  have  been  sensible  of  this  propriety,  and 


400  APPENDIX. 

therefore  strong  evidence  would  be  necessary  to  make 
me  believe  that  he  violated  it.  Whether  he  did  or 
did  not,  is  a  question  which  naturally  directs  our 
attention  to  whatever  affords  presumptive  evidence 
respecting  it,  and  leads  the  mind  into  a  long  train  of 
correspondent  reflections.  I  will  give  you  a  sum- 
mary of  those  which  have  occurred  to  me ;  not  be- 
cause I  think  them  necessary  to  settle  the  point  in 
question,  for  the  sequel  will  show  that  they  are  not, 
but  because  the  occasion  invites  me  to  take  the  plea- 
sure of  reviewing  and  bearing  testimony  to  the  merits 
of  my  departed  friend. 

Is  it  to  be  presumed  from  these  facts  that  Gen. 
Hamilton  was  the  real,  and  the  President  only  the 
reputed  author  of  that  Address  ?  Although  they  coun- 
tenance such  a  presumption,  yet  I  think  its  founda- 
tion will  be  found  too  slight  and  shallow  to  resist  that 
strong  and  full  stream  of  counter  evidence  which 
flows  from  the  conduct  and  character  of  that  great 
man  ;  a  character  not  blown  up  into  transient  splen- 
dour by  the  breath  of  adulation,  but  which,  being 
composed  of  his  great  and  memorable  deeds,  stands, 
and  will  for  ever  stand,  a  glorious  monument  of  hu- 
man excellence. 

So  prone,  however,  is  "poor  human  nature"  to  dis- 
like and  depreciate  the  superiority  of  its  cotempo- 
•raries,  that  when  these  facts  come  to  be  generally 
known,  and  generally  known  they  will  be,  many  with 
affected  regret  and  hesitation  will  infer  and  hint  that 
Washington  had  less  greatness  of  talent,  and  less 
greatness  of  mind,  than  his  friends  and  admirers 
ascribe  to  him.  Nor  will  the  number  of  those  be  few, 


LETTER  OF  CHIEF  JUSTICE  JAY.    401 

who,  from  personal  or  party  inducements,  will  art- 
fully encourage  and  diligently  endeavour  to  give  cur- 
rency to  such  imputations.  On  the  other  hand,  there 
are  men  of  candour  and  judgment,  and  time  will  in- 
crease their  number,  who,  aiming  only  at  truth,  will 
cheerfully  trace  and  follow  its  footsteps,  and,  on  find- 
ing, fondly  embrace  it.  Urged  by  this  laudable  mo- 
tive, they*will  attentively  examine  the  history  of  his 
life ;  and  in  it  they  will  meet  with  such  numerous 
proofs  of  his  knowledge  and  experience  of  men  and 
things  in  general,  and  of  our  national  affairs  in  par- 
ticular, as  to  silence  all  doubt  of  his  ability  to  con- 
ceive and  express  every  idea  in  that  address.  A 
careful  perusal  of  that  history  will  convince  them  that 
the  principles  of  policy  which  it  recommends  as  rulea 
for  the  conduct  of  others,  are  precisely  those  by  which 
he  regulated  his  own. 

There  have  been  in  the  world  but  two  systems  or 
schools  of  policy,  the  one  founded  on  the  great  prin- 
ciples of  wisdom  and  rectitude,  the  other  on  cunning, 
and  its  various  artifices.  To  the  first  of  these  be- 
longed Washington,  and  all  the  other  worthies  of 
every  other  country  who  ascended  to  the  Temple  of 
Honour  through  the  Temple  of  Virtue.  The  doc- 
trines, maxims,  and  precepts  of  this  school  have  been 
explained  and  inculcated  by  the  ablest  writers,  ancient 
and  modern.  In  all  civilized  countries  they  are 
known,  though  often  neglected ;  and  in  free  states 
have  always  been  publicly  commended  and  taught; 
they  crossed  the  Atlantic  with  our  forefathers,  and  in 
our  days  particularly,  have  not  only  engaged  the  time 
and  attention  of  students,  but  have  been  constantly 
34*  2  A 


402  APPENDIX. 

and  eloquently  displayed  by  able  men  in  our  senates 
and  assemblies.  What  reason  can  there  be  that 
Washington  did  not  understand  those  subjects  ?  If 
it  be  asked  what  these  subjects  comprehend  or  relate 
to,  the  answer  is  this  —  they  relate  to  the  nature  and 
duties  of  man,  to  his  propensities  and  passions,  his 
virtues  and  vices,  his  habits  and  prejudices,  his  real 
and  relative  wants  and  enjoyments,  his  capacities  for 
social  and  national  happiness,  and  the  means  by 
which,  according  to  time,  place,  and  other  existing 
circumstances,  it  is  in  a  greater  or  less  degree  to  be 
procured,  preserved,  and  increased.  From  a  pro- 
found investigation  of  these  subjects,  enlightened  by 
experience,  result  all  that  knowledge  and  those  max- 
ims and  precepts  of  sound  policy,  which  enable  legis- 
lators and  rulers  to  manage  and  govern  public  affairs 
wisely  and  justly. 

By  what  other  means  than  the  practical  use  of  this 
knowledge,  could  Washington  have  been  able  to 
lead  and  govern  an  army  hastily  collected  from  va- 
rious parts,  and  who  brought  with  them  to  the  field 
all  the  license  and  all  the  habits  which  they  had  in- 
dulged at  home  ?  Could  he,  by  the  force  of  orders 
and  proclamations,  have  constrained  them  to  render 
to  him  that  obedience,  confidence,  and  warm  attach- 
ment which  he  so  soon  acquired,  and  which,  through- 
out all  vicissitudes  and  distresses,  continued  constant 
and  undiminished  to  the  last  ?  By  what  other  means 
could  he  have  been  able  to  frustrate  the  designs  of 
dark  cabals,  and  the  unceasing  intrigues  of  envious 
competitors,  and  the  arts  of  the  opposing  enemy? 
By  what  other  means  could  he  have  been  able,  in  so 


LETTER  OF  CHIEF  JUSTICE  JAY.    403 

masterly  a  manner,  to  meet  and  manage  all  those  per- 
plexing embarrassments  which  the  revolutionary  sub- 
stitution of  a  new  government, — which  the  want  of 
that  power  in  Congress  which  they  had  not,  and  of 
that  promptitude  which  no  deliberative  body  can 
have, — which  the  frequent  destitution  and  constant 
uncertainty  of  essential  supplies, — which  the  incom- 
petency  of  individuals  on  whom  much  depended,  the 
perfidy  of  others,  and  the  mismanagement  of  many, 
could  not  fail  to  engender?  "We  know,  and  history 
will  inform  posterity,  that,  from  the  first  of  his  mili- 
tary career,  he  had  to  meet,  and  encounter,  and  sur- 
mount a  rapid  succession  of  formidable  difficulties, 
even  down  to  the  time  when  his  country  was  enabled, 
by  the  success  of  their  arms,  to  obtain  the  honorable 
peace  which  terminated  the  war.  His  high  and  ap- 
pointed course  being  then  finished,  he  disdained  the 
intimations  of  lawless  ambition  to  prolong  it.  He 
disbanded  the  army  under  circumstances  which  re- 
quired no  common  degree  of  policy  or  virtue ;  and, 
with  universal  admiration  and  plaudits,  descended, 
joyfully  and  serenely,  into  the  shades  of  retirement. 
They  who  ascribe  all  this  to  the  guidance  and  pro- 
tection of  Providence  do  well,  but  let  them  recollect 
that  Providence  seldom  interposes  in  human  affairs, 
but  through  the  agency  of  human  means. 

When  at  a  subsequent  and  alarming  period,  the 
nation  found  that  their  afiairs  had  gone  into  confu- 
sion, and  that  clouds  portending  danger  and  distress 
were  rising  over  them,  in  every  quarter,  they  instituted 
under  his  auspices  a  more  efficient  government,  and 
unanimously  committed  the  administration  of  it  to 


404  APPENDIX. 

him.  "Would  they  have  done  this  without  the  highest 
confidence  in  his  political  talents  and  wisdom?  Cer- 
tainly not  —  no  novice  in  navigation  was  ever  unani- 
mously called  upon  to  take  the  helm  or  command  of 
a  ship  on  the  point  of  running  aground  among  the 
breakers.  This  universal  confidence  would  have 
proved  universal  mistake,  had  it  not  been  justified  by 
the  event.  The  unanimous  opinion  entertained  and 
declared  by  a  whole  people  in  favor  of  any  fellow- 
citizen  is  rarely  erroneous,  especially  in  times  of  alarm 
and  calamity. 

To  delineate  the  course,  and  enumerate  the  mea- 
sures which  he  took  to  arrive  at  success,  would  be  to 
write  a  volume.  The  firmness  and  policy  with  which 
he  overcame  the  obstacles  placed  in  his  way  by  the 
derangement  of  national  affairs,  by  the  devices  of  do- 
mestic demagogues  and  of  foreign  agents,  as  well  as 
by  the  deleterious  influences  of  the  French  revolution, 
need  not  be  particularized.  Our  records,  and  histo- 
ries, and  memories,  render  it  unnecessary.  It  is  suffi- 
cient to  say,  and  it  can  be  said  with  truth,  that  his 
administration  raised  the  nation  out  of  confusion  into 
order,  out  of  degradation  and  distress  into  reputation, 
and  prosperity;  it  found  us  withering  —  it  left  us 
flourishing. 

Is  it  to  be  believed  that  after  having  thus  led  the 
nation  out  of  a  bewildered  state,  and  guided  them  for 
many  years  from  one  degree  of  prosperity  to  another, 
he  was  not  qualified,  on  retiring,  to  advise  them  how 
to  proceed  and  go  on  ?  And  what  but  this  is  the 
object  and  the  burthen  of  his  Valedictory  Address? 
He  was  persuaded  that,  as  the  national  welfare  had 


LETTER    OF    CHIEF    JUSTICE    JAY.        405 

been  recovered  and  established,  so  it  could  only  be 
preserved  and  prolonged  by  a  continued  and  steady 
adherence  to  those  principles  of  sound  policy  and  im- 
partial justice  which  had  invariably  directed  his  ad- 
ministration. 

Although  the  knowledge  of  them  had  been  spread 
and  scattered  among  the  people,  here  a  little,  and 
there  a  little,  yet  being  desirous  to  mark  even  the  last 
day  of  his  public  life  by  some  act  of  public  utility,  he 
addressed  and  presented  them  to  his  fellow  citizens  in 
points  of  light  so  clear  and  strong  as  to  make  deep 
impressions  on  the  public  mind.  These  last  parental 
admonitions  of  this  Father  of  his  Country  were  grate- 
fully received  and  universally  admired ;  but  the  expe- 
rience of  ages  informs  us,  that  it  is  less  difficult  to  give 
good  advice  than  to  prevail  on  men  to  follow  it. 

Such,  and  so  obvious  is  the  force  of  the  preceding 
considerations,  as  to  render  doubts  of  the  President's 
ability  to  give  the  advice  contained  in  the  address  too 
absurd  to  have  many  serious  advocates.  But  it  would 
not  surprise  me,  if  certain  classical  gentlemen,  asso- 
ciating the  facts  you  mention  with  the  style  and  fashion 
of  the  address,  should  intimate  that  his  ability  to  com- 
pass it  substantially  in  his  own  mind  does  not  prove 
that  he  was  also  capable  of  communicating  his  advice  in 
a  paper  so  well  written.  Let  these  gentlemen  recollect 
the  classical  maxim  which  they  learned  at  school : 

"  Scribendi  recte,  sapere  est,  et  principium,  et  fons." 
They  may  also  be  referred  to  another  classical  maxim, 
which  teaches  us  that  they  who  well  understand  their 
subject  will  be  at  no  loss  for  words : 

"  Verbaque  provisam  rem  non  in  vita  sequentur." 


406  APPENDIX. 

But  his  ability  to  write  well  need  not  be  proved  by 
the  application  of  maxims ;  it  is  established  by  facts. 

We  are  told  to  judge  of  a  tree  by  its  fruit;  let  ua 
in  like  manner  judge  of  his  pen  by  its  performances. 
Few  men  who  had  so  little  leisure  have  written  so 
much.  His  public  letters  alone  are  voluminous,  and 
public  opinion  has  done  justice  to  their  merits.  Many 
of  them  have  been  published,  and  they  who  read  them 
will  be  convinced  that  at  the  period  of  the  address  he 
had  not  to  learn  how  to  write  well.  But  it  may  be 
remarked  that  the  address  is  more  highly  finished 
than  the  letters,  and  so  it  ought  to  be ;  that  address 
was  to  be  presented  to  the  whole  nation,  and  on  no 
common  occasion ;  it  was  intended  for  the  present 
and  future  generation  ;  it  was  to  be  read  in  this  coun- 
try and  in  foreign  countries ;  and  to  be  criticized  not 
only  by  affectionate  friends  and  impartial  judges,  but 
also  by  envious  and  malignant  enemies.  It  was  an 
address  which,  according  as  it  should  or  should  not 
correspond  with  his  exalted  character  and  fame,  would 
either  justify  or  impeach  the  prevailing  opinion  of  his 
talents  or  wisdom.  Who,  therefore,  can  wonder  that 
he  should  bestow  more  thoughts,  and  time,  and  pains 
on  that  address  than  a  letter  ? 

Although  in  the  habit  of  depending  ultimately  on 
his  own  judgment,  yet  no  man  was  more  solicitous  to 
obtain  and  collect  light  on  every  question  and  mea- 
sure on  which  he  had  to  decide.  He  knew  that  au- 
thors, like  parents,  are  not  among  the  first  to  discover 
imperfections  in  their  offspring,  and  that  considera- 
tion would  naturally  induce  him  to  imitate  the  exam- 
ple of  those  ancient  and  modern  writers  (among  whom 


LETTER  OF  CHIEF  JUSTICE  JAY.    407 

were  statesmen,  generals,  and  even  men  of  consular 
and  royal  dignity),  who  submitted  their  compositions 
to  the  judgment  of  their  friends  before  they  put  the 
last  hand  to  them.  Those  friends  would  make  notes 
of  whatever  defects  they  observed  in  the  draft,  and  of 
the  correspondent  amendments  which  they  deemed 
proper.  If  they  found  that  the  arrangement  would 
be  improved,  they  would  advise  certain  transpositions 
—  if  the  connexion  between  any  of  the  relative  parts 
was  obscure,  they  would  make  it  more  apparent  —  if 
a  conclusion  had  better  be  left  to  implication  than 
expressed,  they  would  strike  it  out,  and  so  vice  vers&, 
if  an  additional  remark  or  allusion  would  give  force 
or  light  to  a  sentiment  or  proposition  they  would  pro- 
pose it  —  where  a  sentence  was  too  long,  they  would 
divide  it  —  they  would  correct  redundancies,  change 
words  less  apt  for  words  more  apt,  &c.  &c.  To  correct 
a  composition  in  this  way,  is  to  do  a  friendly  office, 
but  to  prepare  a  new  one,  and  offer  it  to  the  author 
as  a  substitute  for  his  own,  would  deserve  a  different 
appellation. 

Among  those  to  whose  judgment  and  candour  Pre- 
sident Washington  would  commit  such  an  interesting 
and  delicate  task,  where  is  the  man  to  be  found  who 
would  have  the  hardihood  to  say  to  him  in  substance, 
though  in  terms  ever  so  nice  and  courtly  —  "Sir,  I 
have  examined  and  considered  your  draft  of  an  ad- 
dress —  it  will  not  do  —  it  is  really  good  for  nothing, 
but,  Sir,  I  have  taken  the  trouble  to  write  a  proper 
one  for  you,  and  I  now  make  a  present  of  it.  I  ad- 
vise you  to  adopt  it,  and  to  pass  it  on  the  world  aa 
your  own ;  the  cheat  will  never  be  discovered,  for  you 


i08  APPENDIX. 

may  depend  on  raj  secrecy.  Sir,  I  have  inserted  in 
it  a  paragraph  that  will  give  the  public  a  good  opinion 
of  your  modesty.  I  will  read  it  to  you ;  it  is  in  these 
words  : 

"'In  the  discharge  of  this  trust  I  will  only  saj,  that 
I  have  with  good  intentions  contributed  towards  the 
organization  and  administration  of  the  government, 
the  best  exertions  of  which  a  very  fallible  judgment 
was  capable.  Not  unconscious  in  the  outset  of  the 
inferiority  of  my  qualifications,  experience,  in  my  own 
eyes,  perhaps  still  more  in  the  eyes  of  others,  has 
strengthened  the  motives  to  diffidence  of  myself.'  " 

If  it  be  possible  to  find  a  man  among  those  whom 
he  esteemed,  capable  of  offering  to  him  such  a  pre- 
sent, it  is  impossible  to  believe  that  President  Wash- 
ington was  the  man  to  whom  such  a  present  would 
have  been  acceptable.  They  who  knew  President 
Washington,  and  his  various  endowments,  qualifica- 
tions, and  virtues,  know  that  (aggregately  considered) 
they  formed  a  tout  ensemble  which  has  rarely  been 
equalled,  and  perhaps  never  excelled. 

Thus  much  for  presumptive  evidence,  I  will  now 
turn  your  attention  to  some  that  is  direct. 

The  history  (if  it  may  be  so  called)  of  the  address 
is  not  unknown  to  me ;  but  as  I  came  to  the  know- 
ledge of  it  under  implied  confidence,  I  doubted,  when 
I  first  received  your  letter,  whether  I  ought  to  dis- 
close it.  On  more  mature  reflection  I  became  con- 
vinced that  if  President  Washington  were  now  alive, 
and  informed  of  the  facts  in  question,  he  would  no'« 
only  authorise,  but  also  desire  me  to  reduce  it  to 
writing;  that,  when  necessary,  it  might  be  used  to 


LETTER  OF  CHIEF  JUSTICE  JAY.    409 

invalidate  the  imputations  to  which  those  facts  give 
color. 

This  consideration  terminated  my  doubts.  I  do 
not  think  that  a  disclosure  is  necessary  at  this  mo- 
ment, but  I  fear  such  a  moment  will  arrive.  "Whe- 
ther I  shall  then  be  alive,  or  in  a  capacity  to  give  tes- 
timony, is  so  uncertain,  that  in  order  to  avoid  the  risk 
of  either,  I  shall  now  reduce  it  to  writing,  and  commit 
it  to  your  care  and  discretion.  "  De  bene  esse,"  as 
the  lawyers  say. 

Some  time  before  the  address  appeared,  Colonel 
(afterwards  General)  Hamilton  informed  me  that  he 
had  received  a  letter  from  President  "Washington,  and 
with  it  the  draft  of  a  Farewell  Address  which  the 
President  had  prepared,  and  on  which  he  requested 
our  opinion.  He  then  proposed  to  fix  on  a  day  for 
an  interview  at  my  house  on  the  subject.  A  day  was 
accordingly  appointed,  and  on  that  day  Col.  Hamil- 
ton attended.  He  observed  to  me  in  words  to  this 
effect,  that  after  having  read  and  examined  the  draft, 
it  appeared  to  him  to  be  susceptible  of  improvement. 
That  he  thought  the  easiest  and  best  way  was  to  leave 
the  draft  untouched,  and  in  its  fair  state;  and  to  write 
the  whole  over  with  such  amendments,  alterations  and 
corrections,  as  he  thought  were  advisable,  and  that 
he  had  done  so ;  he  then  proposed  to  read  it,  and  we 
proceeded  deliberately  to  discuss  and  consider  it,  para- 
graph by  paragraph,  until  the  whole  met  with  our 
mutual  approbation.  Some  amendments  were  made 
during  the  interview,  but  none  of  much  importance. 

Although  this  business  had  not  been  hastily  de- 
spatched, yet  aware  of  the  consequences  of  such  a 
35 


410  APPENDIX. 

paper,  I  suggested  the  giving  it  a  further  critical  exa- 
mination ;  but  he  declined  it,  saying,  he  was  pressed 
for  time,  and  was  anxious  to  return  the  draft  to  the 
President  without  delay. 

It  afterwards  occurred  to  me  that  a  certain  propo- 
sition was  expressed  in  terms  too  general  and  unqua- 
lified ;  and  I  hinted  it  in  a  letter  to  the  President. 
As  the  business  took  the  course  above  mentioned,  a 
recurrence  to  the  draft  was  unnecessary,  and  it  was 
not  read.  There  was  this  advantage  in  the  course 
pursued ;  the  President's  draft  remained  (as  delicacy 
required)  fair  and  not  obscured  by  interlineations,  &c. 
By 'comparing  it  with  the  paper  sent  with  it,  he  would 
immediately  observe  the  particular  emendations  and 
corrections,  that  were  proposed,  and  would  find  them 
standing  in  their  intended  places.  Hence  he  was 
enabled  to  review,  and  to  decide  on  the  whole  matter, 
with  much  greater  clearness  and  facility,  than  if  he 
had  received  them  in  separate  and  detached  notes, 
and  with  detailed  references  to  the  pages  and  linea 
where  they  were  advised  to  be  introduced. 

With  great  esteem  and  regard,  I  am,  dear  Sir,  your 
obed't  servant, 

JOHN  JAY. 

RICHARD  PETERS,  ESQ. 


EXTRACT.  411 


V. 


THE  following  paper  is  taken  from  the  "  "Writings 
of  Washington,"  edited  by  Jared  Sparks,  Esq.,  now 
President  of  Harvard  University.  It  forms  Appendix 
No.  3  of  the  12th  volume  of  that  work. 

WASHINGTON'S  FAREWELL  ADDRESS. 

THE  curiosity,  which  has  been  expressed  respect- 
ing the  authorship  of  the  Farewell  Address,  would 
seem  to  require  some  notice  of  the  subject  in  this 
work;  although  the  question,  as  to  the  manner  in 
which  that  address  originated,  is  one  of  small  mo- 
ment, since  its  real  importance  consists  in  its  being 
known  to  contain  the  sentiments  of  Washington, 
uttered  on  a  solemn  occasion,  and  designed  for  the 
benefit  of  his  countrymen.  Whether  every  idea  em- 
bodied in  it  arose  spontaneously  from  his  own  mind, 
or  whether  every  word  was  first  traced  by  his  pen, 
or  whether  he  acted  as  every  wise  man  would  natu- 
rally act  under  the  same  circumstances,  and  sought 
counsel  from  other  sources  claiming  respect  and 
confidence,  or  in  what  degree  he  pursued  either  or 
all  of  these  methods,  are  points  so  unimportant, 
compared  with  the  object  and  matter  of  the  whole, 
as  to  be  scarcely  worth  considering.  Nor  is  it  in- 
tended here  to  do  anything  more  than  to  state  a 


*12  APPENDIX. 

few  facts,  leaving  the  reader  to  draw  his  own  in- 
ferences. 

"When  "Washington  accepted  the  Presidency,  to 
which  he  had  been  called  by  the  unanimous  voice 
of  the  people,  it  was  not  his  intention  to  remain  in 
the  office  more  than  one  term.  Towards  the  close 
of  that  term,  he  wrote  the  following  letter  to  Mr. 
Madison,  whom  he  had  been  in  the  habit  of  fre- 
quently consulting,  and  of  whose  ability,  integrity, 
and  practical  wisdom,  he>  entertained  the  highest 
opinion. 

PRESIDENT   WASHINGTON   TO   JAMES   MADISON. 

"MOUNT  VERNON,  20  May,  1792. 
"MY  DEAR   SlR: 

"  As  there  is  a  possibility,  if  not  a  probability,  that 
I  shall  not  see  you  on  your  return  home;  or,  if  I 
should  see  you,  it  may  be  on  the  road,  and  under 
circumstances,  which  may  prevent  my  speaking  to 
you  on  the  subject  we  last  conversed  upon,  I  take  the 
liberty  of  committing  to  paper  the  following  thoughts 
and  requests. 

"I  have  not  been  unmindful  of  the  sentiments 
expressed  by  you  in  the  conversations  just  alluded 
to.  On  the  contrary,  I  have  again  and  again  re- 
volved them  with  thoughtful  anxiety,  but  without 
being  able  to  dispose  my  mind  to  a  longer  continua- 
tion in  the  office  I  have  now  the  honor  to  hold.  I 
therefore  still  look  forward  with  the  fondest  and 
most  ardent  wishes  to  spend  the  remainder  of  my 
days,  which  I  cannot  expect  to  be  long,  in  ease  and 
tranquillity. 


WASHINGTON    TO    MADISON.  413 

"  Nothing  but  a  conviction,  that  my  declining  the 
chair  of  government,  if  it  should  be  the  desire  of 
the  people  to  continue  me  in  it,  would  involve  the 
country  in  serious  disputes  respecting  the  chief  ma- 
gistrate, and  the  disagreeable  consequences  which 
might  result  therefrom  in  the  floating  and  divided 
opinions,  which  seem  to  prevail  at  present,  could  in 
anywise  induce  me  to  relinquish  the  determination  I 
have  formed ;  and  of  this  I  do  not  see  how  any  evi- 
dence can  be  obtained  previous  to  the  election.  My 
vanity,  I  am  sure,  is  not  of  the  cast  to  allow  me  to 
view  the  subject  in  this  light. 

"Under  these  impressions,  then,  permit  me  to 
reiterate  the  request  I  made  to  you  at  our  last  meet- 
ing, namely,  to  think  of  the  proper  time  and  the 
best  mode  of  announcing  the  intention,  and  that  you 
would  prepare  the  latter.  In  revolving  this  subject 
myself,  my  judgment  has  always  been  embarrassed. 
On  the  one  hand,  a  previous  declaration  to  retire, 
not  only  carries  with  it  the  appearance  of  vanity  and 
self-importance,  but  it  may  be  construed  into  a  ma- 
noeuvre to  be  invited  to  remain ;  and  on  the  other 
hand,  to  say  nothing  implies  consent,  or  at  any 
rate  would  leave  the  matter  in  doubt;  and  to  de- 
cline afterwards  might  be  deemed  as  bad,  and  un- 
candid. 

"I  would  fain  carry  my  request  to  you  farther 
than  is  asked  above,  although  I  am  sensible  that 
your  compliance  with  it  must  add  to  your  trouble. 
But,  as  the  recess  may  afford  you  leisure,  and  I  flat- 
ter myself  you  have  dispositions  to  oblige  me,  I  will, 
without  apology,  desire,  if  the  measure  in  itself 
35* 


414  APPENDIX. 

should  strike  you  as  proper,  or  likely  to  produce 
public  good  or  private  honor,  that  you  would  turn 
your  thoughts  to  a  Valedictory  Address  from  me  to 
the  public,  expressing  in  plain  and  modest  terms, 
that,  having  been  honored  with  the  presidential 
chair,  and  to  the  best  of  my  abilities  contributed  to 
the  organization  and  administration  of  the  govern- 
ment ;  that,  having  arrived  at  a  period  of  life,  when 
the  private  walks  of  it  in  the  shades  of  retirement 
become  necessary,  and  will  be  most. pleasing  to  me; 
(and  as  the  spirit  of  the  government  may  render  a 
rotation  in  the  elective  officers  of  it  more  congenial 
with  the  ideas  [the  people  have]  of  liberty  and 
safety)  that  I  take  my  leave  of  them  as  a  public  man, 
and,  in  bidding  them  adieu,  retaining  no  other  con- 
cern than  such  as  will  arise  from  fervent  wishes  for 
the  prosperity  of  my  country,  I  take  the  liberty  at 
my  departure  from  civil  [life],  as  I  formerly  did  at 
niy  military  exit,  to  invoke  a  continuation  of  the 
blessings  of  Providence  upon  it,  and  upon  all  those  who 
are  the  supporters  of  its  interests,  and  the  promoters 
of  harmony,  order,  and  good  government. 

"That,  to  impress  these  things,  it  might  among 
other  topics  be  observed,  that  we  are  all  the  children 
of  the  same  country,  a  country  great  and  rich  in 
itself,  capable,  and  promising  to  be  as  prosperous 
and  happy  as  any  which  the  annals  of  history  have 
ever  brought  to  our  view ;  that  our  interest,  however 
diversified  in  local  and  smaller  matters,  is  the  same 
in  all  the  great  and  essential  concerns  of  the  nation  ; 
that  the  extent  of  our  country,  the  diversity  of  our 
climate  and  soil,  and  the  various  productions  of  the 


WASHINGTON    TO    MADISON.  415 

states  consequent  of  both,  are  such  as  to  make  one 
part  not  only  convenient,  but  perhaps  indispensably 
necessary  to  the  other  part,  and  may  render  the 
whole,  at  no  distant  period,  one  of  the  most  inde- 
pendent [nations]  in  the  world ;  that  the  established 
government,  being  the  work  of  our  own  hands,  with 
the  seeds  of  amendment  engrafted  in  the  constitu- 
tion, may,  by  wisdom,  good  dispositions,  and  mutual 
allowances,  aided  by  experience,  bring  it  as  near  to 
perfection,  as  any  human  institution  ever  approxi- 
mated, and  therefore  the  only  strife  among  us  ought 
to  be,  who  should  be  foremost  in  facilitating  and 
finally  accomplishing  such  great  and  desirable  ob- 
jects, by  giving  every  possible  support  and  cement 
to  the  Union ;  that,  however  necessary  it  may  be  to 
keep  a  watchful  eye  over  public  servants  and  public 
measures,  yet  there  ought  to  be  limits  to  it,  for  suspi- 
cions unfounded  and  jealousies  too  lively  are  irritating 
to  honest  feelings,  and  oftentimes  are  productive  of 
more  evil  than  good. 

"To  enumerate  the  various  subjects,  which  might 
be  introduced  into  such  an  address,  would  require 
thought,  and  to  mention  them  to  you  would  be  un- 
necessary, as  your  own  judgment  will  comprehend 
all  that  will  be  proper.  Whether  to  touch  specifi- 
cally any  of  the  exceptionable  parts  of  the  constitu- 
tion may  be  doubted.  All  I  shall  add,  therefore,  at 
present,  is  to  beg  the  favor  of  you  to  consider,  first, 
the  propriety  of  such  an  address;  secondly,  if  ap- 
proved, the  several  matters  which  ought  to  be  con- 
tained in  it ;  thirdly,  the  time  it  should  appear,  that 


416  APPENDIX. 

is,  whether  at  the  declaration  of  my  intention  tc 
withdraw  from  the  service  of  the  public,  or  to  let  it 
be  the  closing  act  of  my  administration,  which  will 
end  with  the  next  session  of  Congress;  the  probabi 
lity  being,  that  that  body  will  continue  sitting  until 
March,  when  the  House  of  Representatives  will  also 
dissolve. 

"  Though  I  do  not  wish  to  hurry  you  (the  case 
not  pressing)  in  the  execution  of  either  of  the  pub- 
lications before  mentioned,  yet  I  should  be  glad  to 
hear  from  you  generally  on  both,  and  to  receive  them 
in  time,  if  you  should  not  come  to  Philadelphia 
before  the  session  commences,  in  the  form  they  are 
finally  to  take.  I  beg  leave  to  draw  your  attention, 
also,  to  such  things  as  you  shall  conceive  fit  sub- 
jects for  communication  on  that  occasion  ;  and, 
noting  them  as  they  occur,  that  you  would  be  so 
good  as  to  furnish  me  with  them  in  time  to  be  pre- 
pared, and  engrafted  with  others,  for  the  opening  of 
the  session. 

"  With  very  sincere  and  affectionate  regards,  I  am 

ever  yours, 

"GEORGE  "WASHINGTON." 

A  month  after  this  letter  was  written,  Mr.  Madi- 
Bon  answered  it,  and  communicated  at  the  same 
time  a  draft  of  a  valedictory  address,  as  above  re- 
quested. 


MADISON    TO    WASHINGTON.  417 

JAMES   MADISON  TO   PRESIDENT  WASHINGTON. 

"ORANGE,  20  June,  1792. 
"DEAR   SIR: 

"  Having  been  left  to  myself  for  some  days  past,  I. 
have  made  use  of  the  opportunity  for  bestowing  on 
your  letter  of  the  20th  ultimo,  handed  me  on  the 
road,  the  attention  which  its  important  contents 
claimed.  The  questions,  which  it  presents  for  con- 
sideration, are,  first,  at  what  time  a  notification  of 
your  purpose  to  retire  will  be  most  convenient; 
secondly,  what  mode  will  be  most  eligible ;  thirdly, 
whether  a  valedictory  address  will  be  proper  and  ad- 
visable ;  fourthly,  if  both,  whether  it  would  be  more 
properly  annexed  to  the  notification,  or  postponed  to 
your  actual  retirement. 

"  1.  The  answer  to  the  first  question  involves  two 
points,  first,  the  expediency  of  delaying  the  notifica- 
tion ;  secondly,  the  propriety  of  making  it  before 
the  choice  of  electors  takes  place,  that  the  people 
may  make  their  choice  with  an  eye  to  the  circum- 
stances under  which  the  trust  is  to  be  executed. 
On  the  first  point,  the  reasons  for  as  much  delay  as 
possible  are  too  obvious  to  need  recital.  The  second, 
depending  on  the  times  fixed  in  the  several  ,States, 
which  must  be  within  thirty-four  days  preceding  the 
first  Wednesday  in  December,  requires  that  the  noti- 
fication should  be  in  time  to  pervade  every  part  of 
the  Union  by  the  beginning  of  November.  AllowT- 
ing  six  weeks  for  this  purpose,  the  middle  of  Septem- 

2B 


418  APPENDIX. 

ber,  or  perhaps  a  little  earlier,  would  seem  a  conve- 
nient date  for  the  act. 

"  2.  With  regard  to  the  mode,  none  better  occurs 
than  a  simple  publication  in  the  newspapers.  If  it 
were  proper  to  address  it  through  the  medium  of  the 
general  legislature,  there  will  be  no  opportunity. 
Nor  does  the  change  of  situation  seem  to  admit  a 
recurrence  to  the  State  governments,  which  were  the 
channels  used  for  the  former  valedictory  address.' 
A  direct  address  to  the  people,  who  are  your  only 
constituents,  can  be  made,  I  think,  most  properly 
through  the  independent  channel  of  the  press,  through 
which  they  are  as  a  constituent  body  usually  ad- 
dressed. 

"  3.  On  the  third  question,  I  think  there  can  be 
no  doubt,  that  such  an  address  is  rendered  proper  in 
itself,  by  the  peculiarity  and  importance  of  the  cir- 
cumstances, which  mark  your  situation  ;  and  advisa- 
ble^ by  the  salutary  and  operative  lessons  of  which  it 
may  be  made  the  vehicle.  The  precedent,  at  your 
military  exit,  might  also  subject  an  omission  now  to 
conjectures  and  interpretations,  which  it  would  not 
be  well  to  leave  room  for. 

"  4.  The  remaining  question  is  less  easily  decided. 
Advantages  and  objections  lie  on  both  sides  of  the 
alternative.  The  occasion,  on  which  you  are  neces- 
sarily addressing  the  people,  evidently  introduces 
most  easily  and  most  delicately  any  voluntary  obser- 
vations that  are  meditated.  In  another  view,  a  fare- 

1  General  Washington's  Address  to  the  Governors  of  the  States 
on  disbanding  the  army. 


MADISON    TO    WASHINGTON.  419 

well  address,  before  the  final  moment  of  departure, 
is  liable  to  the  appearance  of  being  premature  and 
awkward.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  alternative, 
however,  a  postponement  will  beget  a  dryness,  and 
an  abridgment  in  the  first  address,  little  correspond- 
ing with  the  feelings,  which  the  occasion  would 
naturally  produce,  both  in  the  author  and  the  ob- 
jects; and,  though  not  liable  to  the  above  objec- 
tion, would  require  a  resumption  of  the  subject  appa- 
rently more  forced,  and  on  which,  the  impressions 
having  been  anticipated  and  familiarized,  and  the 
public  mind  diverted  perhaps  to  other  scenes,  a 
second  address. would  be  received  with  less  sensibi- 
lity and  effect,  than  if  incorporated  with  the  impres- 
sions incident  to  the  original  one.  It  is  possible, 
too,  that,  previous  to  the  close  of  the  term,  circum- 
stances might  intervene  in  relation  to  public  affairs, 
or  the  succession  to  the  presidency,  which  would  be 
more  embarrassing,  if  existing  at  the  time  of  a  vale- 
dictory appeal  to  the  public,  than  if  subsequent  to 
that  delicate  measure. 

"On  the  whole,  my  judgment  leans  to  the  pro- 
priety of  blending  together  the  notifying  and  vale- 
dictory addresses;  and  the  more  so,  as  the  crisis, 
which  w.ll  terminate  your  public  career,  may  still 
afford  ai  opportunity,  if  any  intermediate  contin- 
gency sh«  ild  call  for  a  supplement  to  your  farewell 
observations.  But  as  more  correct  views  of  the  sub- 
ject may  produce  a  different  result  in  your  mind,  I 
have  endeavored  to  fit  the  draft  enclosed  to  either 
determination.  You  will  readily  observe,  that,  in 
executing  it,  I  have  aimed  at  that  plainness  and 


420  APPENDIX. 

modesty  of  language,  which  you  had  in  view,  and 
which  indeed  are  so  peculiarly  becoming  the  charac- 
ter and  the  occasion  ;  and  that  I  have  had  little  more 
to  do,  as  to  the  matter,  than  to  follow  the  just  and 
comprehensive  outline,  which  you  had  sketched.  I 
flatter  myself,  however,  that,  in  every  thing  which 
has  depended  on  me,  much  improvement  will  be 
made,  before  so  interesting  a  paper  shall  have  taken 
its  last  form. 

"  Having  thus,  Sir,  complied  with  your  wishes,  by 
proceeding  on  a  supposition  that  the  idea  of  retiring 
from  public  life  is  to  be  carried  into  execution,  I 
must  now  gratify  my  own  by  hoping,  that  a  recon- 
sideration of  the  measure,  in  all  its  circumstances  and 
consequences,  will  have  produced  an  acquiescence  in 
one  more  sacrifice,  severe  as  it  may  be,  to  the  desires 
and  interests  of  your  country.  I  forbear  to  enter  into 
the  arguments,  which  in  my  view  plead  for  it,  because 
it  would  be  only  repeating  what  I  have  already  taken 
the  liberty  of  fully  explaining.  But  I  could  not  con- 
clude such  a  letter  as  the  present  without  a  repetition 
of  my  anxious  wishes  and  hopes,  that  our  country 
may  not,  in  this  important  conjuncture,  be  deprived 
of  the  inestimable  advantage  of  having  you  at  the 
head  of  its  councils. 

"  With  every  sentiment  of  respect  and  affectionate 
attachment,  I  am,  dear  Sir,  your  most  obedient  friend 
and  servant, 

"JAMES  MADISON." 


MR.  MADISON'S  DRAFT.  421 


MR.  MADISON'S  DRAFT. 

"  The  period,  which  will  close  the  appointment 
with  which  my  fellow-citizens  have  honored  me, 
being  not  very  distant,  and  the  time  actually  arrived 
at  which  their  thoughts  must  be  designating  the  citi- 
zen who  is  to  administer  the  executive  government 
of  the  United  States  during  the  ensuing  term,  it  may 
be  requisite  to  a  more  distinct  expression  of  the  pub- 
lic voice,  that  I  should  apprize  such  of  my  fellow- 
citizens  as  may  retain  their  partiality  towards  me, 
that  I  am  not  to  be  numbered  among  those  out  of 
whom  a  choice  is  to  be  made. 

"I  beg  them  to  be  assured  that  the  resolution, 
which  dictates  this  intimation,  has  not  been  taken 
without  the  strictest  regard  to  the  relation,  which  aa 
a  dutiful  citizen  I  bear  to  my  country ;  and  that,  in 
withdrawing  that  tender  of  my  service,  which  silence 
in  my  situation  might  imply,  I  am  not  influenced  by 
the  smallest  deficiency  of  zeal  for  its  future  interests, 
or  of  grateful  respect  for  its  past  kindness ;  but  by 
the  fullest  persuasion  that  such  a  step  is  compatible 
with  both. 

"  The  impressions,  under  which  I  entered  on  the 
present  arduous  trust,  were  explained  on  the  proper 
occasion.  In  discharge  of  this  trust,  I  can  only  say, 
that  I  contributed  towards  the  organization  and  ad- 
ministration of  the  government  the  best  exertions  of 
which  a  very  fallible  judgment  was  capable.  For 
any  errors,  which  may  have  flowed  from  this  source, 
36 


422  APPENDIX. 

I  feel  all  the  regret  which  an  anxiety  for  the  public 
good  can  excite ;  not  without  the  double  consolation, 
however,  arising  from  a  consciousness  of  their  being 
involuntary,  and  an  experience  of  the  candour  which 
will  interpret  them. 

"If  there  were  any  circumstances,  which  could 
give  value  to  my  inferior  qualifications  for  the  trust, 
these  circumstances  must  have  been  temporary.  In 
this  light  was  the  undertaking  viewed  when  I  ven- 
tured upon  it.  Being  moreover  still  farther  advanced 
in  the  decline  of  life,  I  am  every  day  more  sensible, 
that  the  increasing  weight  of  years  renders  the  pri- 
vate walks  of  it,  in  the  shade  of  retirement,  as  neces- 
sary as  they  will  be  acceptable  to  me. 

"  May  I  be  allowed  to  add,  that  it  will  be  among 
the  highest  as  well  as  purest  enjoyments  that  can 
sweeten  the  remnant  of  my  days,  to  partake  in  a  pri- 
vate station,  in  the  midst  of  my  fellow-citizens,  of  that 
benign  influence  of  good  laws  under  a  free  govern- 
ment, which  has  been  the  ultimate  object  of  all  our 
wishes,  and  in  which  I  confide  as  the  happy  reward 
of  our  cares  and  labors  ?  May  I  be  allowed  further 
to  add,  as  a  consideration  far  more  important,  that 
an  early  example  of  rotation  in  an  office  of  so  high 
and  delicate  a  nature  may  equally  accord  with  the 
republican  spirit  of  our  constitution,  and  the  ideas  of 
liberty  and  safety  entertained  by  the  people. 

"  [If  a  farewell  address  is  to  be  added  at  the  expi- 
ration of  the  term,  the  following  paragraph  may  con- 
clude the  present.] 

"Tinder  these  circumstances,  a  return  to  my  pri- 
vate station,  according  to  the  purpose  with  which  I 


MR.  MADISON'S  DRAFT.  423 

quitted  it,  is  the  part  which  duty  as  well  as  inclina- 
tion assigns  me.  In  executing  it,  I  shall  carry  with 
me  every  tender  recollection,  which  gratitude  to  my 
fellow-citizens  can  awaken ;  and  a  sensibility  to  the 
permanent  happiness  of  my  country,  which  will  ren- 
der it  the  object  of  my  increasing  vows  and  most  fer 
vent  supplications. 

"  [Should  no  further  address  be  intended,  the  pre- 
ceding clause  may  be  omitted  and  the  present  address 
proceed  as  follows.] 

"  In  contemplating  the  moment  at  which  the  cur- 
tain is  to  drop  for  ever  on  the  public  scenes  of  my 
life,  my  sensations  anticipate  and  do  not  permit  me 
to  suspend,  the  deep  acknowledgments  required  by 
that  debt  of  gratitude,  which  I  owe  to  my  beloved 
country  for  the  many  honors  it  has  conferred  upon 
me,  for  the  distinguished  confidence  it  has  reposed 
in  me,  and  for  the  opportunities  I  have  thus  en- 
joyed, of  testifying  my  inviolable  attachment  by  the 
most  steadfast  services,  which  my  faculties  could 
render. 

"  All  the  returns  I  have  now  to  make  will  be  in 
those  vows,  which  I  shall  carry  with  me  to  my  retire- 
ment and  to  my  grave,  that  Heaven  may  continue  to 
favor  the  people  of  the  United  States  with  the 
choicest  tokens  of  its  beneficence ;  that  their  union 
and  brotherly  affection  may  be  perpetual;  that  the 
tree  constitution,  which  is  the  work  of  their  own 
hands,  may  be  sacredly  maintained;  that  its  admin- 
istration in  every  department  may  be  stamped  with 
wisdom  and  with  virtue ;  and  that  this  character  may 
be  insured  to  it  by  that  watchfulness  over  public  ser« 


424  APPENDIX 

vauts  and  public  measures,  which  on  one  hand  will  be 
necessary  to  prevent  or  correct  a  degeneracy,  and 
that  forbearance,  on  the  other,  from  unfounded  or 
indiscriminate  jealousies,  which  would  deprive  the 
public  of  the  best  services,  by  depriving  a  conscious 
integrity  of  one  of  the  noblest  incitements  to  perform 
them ;  that,  in  fine,  the  happiness  of  the  people  of 
America,  under  the  auspices  of  liberty,  may  be  made 
complete,  by  so  careful  a  preservation  and  so  prudent 
a  use  of  this  blessing,  as  will  acquire  them  the  glo- 
rious satisfaction  of  recommending  it  to  the  affection, 
the  praise,  and  the  adoption  of  every  nation,  which  is 
yet  a  stranger  to  it. 

"And  may  we  not  dwell  with  well-grounded 
hopes  on  this  flattering  prospect,  when  we  reflect  on 
the  many  ties  by  which  the  people  of  America  are 
bound  together,  and  the  many  proofs  they  have  given 
of  an  enlightened  judgment  and  a  magnanimous 
patriotism  ? 

"  We  may  all  be  considered  as  the  children  of  one 
common  country.  We  have  all  been  embarked  in 
one  common  cause.  We  have  all  had  our  share  in 
common  sufferings  and  common  successes.  The  por- 
tion of  the  earth,  allotted  for  the  theatre  of  our  for- 
tunes, fulfils  our  most  sanguine  desires.  All  its 
essential  interests  are  the  same ;  while  the  diversities 
arising  from  climate,  from  soil,  and  from  other  local 
and  lesser  peculiarities,  will  naturally  form  a  mutual 
relation  of  the  parts,  that  may  give  to  the  whole  a 
more  entire  independence,  than  has  perhaps  fallen  to 
the  lot  of  any  other  nation. 

"To  confirm  these  motives  to  an' affectionate  and 


MR.  MADISON'S  DEAFT.  426 

permanent  union,  and  to  secure  the  great  objects  of 
it,  we  have  established  a  common  government,  which, 
being  free  in  its  principles,  being  founded  in  our 
own  choice,  being  intended  ^as  the  guardian  of  our 
common  rights,  and  the  patron  of  our  common  inte- 
rests, and  wisely  containing  within  itself  a  provision 
for  its  own  amendment,  as  experience  may  point  out 
its  errors,  seems  to  promise  everything  that  can  be 
expected  from  such  an  institution ;  and,  if  supported 
by  wise  counsels,  by  virtuous  conduct,  and  by  mu- 
tual and  friendly  allowances,  must  approach  as  near 
to  perfection  as  any  human  work  can  aspire,  and 
nearer  than  any  which  the  annals  of  mankind  have 
recorded. 

"  With  these  wishes  and  hopes  I  shall  make  my 
exit  from  civil  life;  and  I  have  taken  the  same  liberty 
of  expressing  them,  which  I  formerly  used  in  offering 
the  sentiments  which  were  suggested  by  my  exit  from 
military  life. 

"If,  in  either  instance,  I  have  presumed  more  than 
I  ought,  on  the  indulgence  of  my  fellow-citizens,  they 
will  be  too  generous  to  ascribe  it  to  any  other  cause, 
than  the  extreme  solicitude  which  I  am  bound  to 
feel,  and  which  I  can  never  cease  to  feel,  for  their 
liberty,  their  prosperity,  and  their  happiness." 

The  state  of  public  affairs,  and  the  loud  call  of  his 
fellow-citizens  from  every  part  of  the  Union,  pre- 
vailed on  Washington  to  yield  to  a  second  choice, 
and  remain  in  the  presidency  another  term  of  four 
years.  Hence  no  use  was  made  of  the  above  paper. 
He  firmly  resolved,  however,  in  any  event,  to  retire 
36* 


426  APPENDIX. 

from  puolic  life  at  the  end  of  this  second  period;  and, 
as  the  time  approached,  he  began  to  revolve  in  his 
mind  an  address  to  the  people,  which  should  commu- 
nicate his  determination,  and  convey  to  them  such 
sentiments  or  advice,  as  the  occasion  might  properly 
call  forth,  or  as  his  long  experience  and  services 
authorized  him  to  give.  There  is  proof,  that  the 
subject  occupied  his  thoughts  nearly  a  year  before 
his  term  of  office  expired.  In  the  mean  time,  the 
spirit  of  party,  that  bane  of  the  private  aifections  aa 
well  as  of  public  concord,  caused  him  to  be  estranged 
personally  and  politically  in  some  degree  from  Mr. 
Madison,  and  to  seek  other  counsellors. 

Among  these,  none  possessed  a  higher  place  in  his 
confidence  than  Hamilton  ;  of  the  talents,  patriotism, 
honor,  and  honesty  of  none  had  he  a  more  thorough 
conviction,  and  for  none  a  more  profound  respect.  A 
colossal  pillar  of  his  administration,  Hamilton  had 
stood  by  him  in  every  hour  of  trial,  equally  firm  and 
true  in  his  friendship,  and  powerful  in  his  support. 
To  whom  could  Washington  more  safely  apply  for 
the  fruits  of  a  wise  and  disciplined  mind?  From 
whom  could  he  hope  for  better  counsel,  or  a  more 
sacred  regard  to  so  confidential  a  trust  ? 

The  following  note  from  Hamilton  to  Washington 
was  probably  the  first  written  communication  that 
passed  between  them  on  the  subject. 

"New  York,  May  10th,  1796.  — Sir;  When  last  m 
Philadelphia  you  mentioned  to  me  your  wish,  that  I 
should  re-dress  a  certain  paper,  which  you  had  pre- 
pared. As  it  is  important,  that  a  thing  of  this  kind 


HINTS,     OR    HEADS    OF    TOPICS.  427 

should  be  done  with  great  care,  and  much  at  leisure, 
touched  and  retouched,  I  submit  a  wish,  that,  as  soon 
as  you  have  given  it  the  body  you  mean  it  to  have,  it 
may  be  sent  to  me." 

This  note  is  dated  more  than  four  months  before 
the  Farewell  Address  was  published,  and  it  appears 
that  a  draft  of  some  sort  had  already  been  "prepared" 
by  Washington.  It  also  appears,  that  Hamilton  had 
been  invited,  and  was  well  disposed,  to  lend  his  assist- 
ance in  giving  it  completeness  and  finish. 

"What  were  the  contents  of  the  draft  here  alluded 
to,  or  whether  it  was  the  one  afterwards  sent  to  Ham- 
ilton, there  are  now  no  means  of  ascertaining.  It  is 
certain,  however,  that  it  was  Washington's  original 
idea  to  embody  in  the  address  the  substance  and  the 
form  of  Mr.  Madison's  draft,  and  to  make  such  addi- 
tions as  events  and  the  change  of  circumstances 
seemed  to  require.  A  paper  of  this  description  has 
been  preserved,  in  which  is  first  inserted  Mr.  Madi- 
son's draft,  and  then  a  series  of  memoranda,  or  loose 
hints,  evidently  designed  to  be  wrought  into  the  ad- 
dress. These  are  here  printed  as  transcribed  from 
the  original  manuscript. 

HINTS,    OR   HEADS   OP   TOPICS. 

"Had  the  situation  of  our  public  affairs  continued 
to  wear  the  same  aspect  they  assumed  at  the  time 
the  foregoing  address  was  drawn,  I  should  not  have 
taken  the  liberty  of  troubling  you,  my  fellow-citizens, 
with  any  new  sentiment,  or  with  a  repetition  more  in 
detail  of  those,  which  are  therein  contained;  but  con- 


428  APPENDIX. 

siderable  changes  having  taken  place,  both  at  home 
and  abroad,  I  shall  ask  your  indulgence  while  I  ex- 
press, with  more  lively  sensibility,  the  following  most 
ardent  wishes  of  my  heart, 

"That  party  disputes  among  all  the  friends  and 
lovers  of  their  country  may  subside,  or,  as  the  wisdom 
of  Providence  has  ordained  that  men  on  the  same  sub- 
jects shall  not  always  think  alike,  that  charity  and  be- 
nevolence, when  they  happen  to  differ,  may  so  far  shed 
their  benign  influence,  as  to  banish  those  invectives, 
which  proceed  from  illiberal  prejudices  and  jealousy. 

"  That,  as  the  All-wise  Dispenser  of  human  bless- 
ings has  favored  no  nation  of  the  earth  with  more 
abundant  and  substantial  means  of  happiness  than 
United  America,  we  may  not  be  so  ungrateful  to  our 
Creator,  so  wanting  to  ourselves,  and  so  regardless  of 
posterity,  as  to  dash  the  cup  of  beneficence,  which  is 
thus  bountifully  offered  to  our  acceptance. 

"  That  we  may  fulfil  with  the  greatest  exactitude  all 
our  engagements,  foreign  and  domestic,  to  the  utmost 
of  our  abilities,  whensoever  and  in  whatsoever  man- 
ner they  are  pledged;  for  in  public,  as  in  private  life, 
I  am  persuaded  that  honesty  will  for  ever  be  found 
to  be  the  best  policy. 

"  That  we  may  avoid  connecting  ourselves  with  the 
politics  of  any  nation,  farther  than  shall  be  found  ne- 
cessary to  regulate  our  own  trade,  in  order  that  com- 
merce may  be  placed  upon  a  stable  footing,  our  mer- 
chants know  their  rights,  and  the  government  the 
ground  on  which  those  rights  are  to  be  supported. 

"  That  every  citizen  would  take  pride  in  the  name 
of  an  American,  and  act  as  if  he  felt  the  importance 


HINTS,     OR    HEADS     OF    TOPICS.  429 

of  the  character,  by  considering,  that  we  ourselves 
are  now  a  distinct  nation,  the  dignity  of  which  will  be 
absorbed,  if  not  annihilated,  if  we  enlist  ourselves,  far- 
ther than  our  obligations  may  require,  under  the  ban- 
ners of  any  other  nation  whatsoever.  And,  moreover, 
that  we  should  guard  against  the  intrigues  of  any  and 
every  foreign  nation,  who  shall  endeavor  to  inter- 
mingle, however  covertly  and  indirectly,  in  the  internal 
concerns  of  our  country,  or  who  shall  attempt  to  pre- 
scribe rules  for  our  policy  with  any  other  power,  if 
there  be  no  infraction  of  our  engagements  with  them- 
selves, as  one  of  the  greatest  evils  that  can  befall  us 
as  a  people  ;  for,  whatever  may  be  their  professions, 
be  assured,  fellow-citizens,  and  the  event  will,  as  it 
always  has,  invariably  prove,  that  nations  as  well  as 
individuals  act  for  their  own  benefit,  and  not  for  the 
benefit  of  others,  unless  both  interests  happen  to  be 
assimilated,  and  when  that  is  the  case  there  requires 
no  contract  to  bind  them  together ;  that  all  their  in- 
terferences are  calculated  to  promote  the  former;  and, 
in  proportion  as  they  succeed,  will  render  us  less  in- 
dependent. In  a  word,  nothing  is  more  certain,  than 
that,  if  we  receive  favors,  we  must  grant  favors ;  and 
it  is  not  easy  to  decide  beforehand  under  such  circum- 
stances as  we  are,  on  which  side  the  balance  will  ulti- 
mately preponderate ;  but  easy  indeed  is  it  to  foresee, 
that  it  may  involve  us  in  disputes,  and  finally  in  war, 
to  fulfil  political  alliances.  Whereas,  if  there  be  no 
engagements  on  our  part,  we  shall  be  unembarrassed, 
and  at  liberty  at  all  times  to  act  from  circumstances, 
and  the  dictates  of  justice,  sound  policy,  and  our 
essential  interests. 


430  APPENDIX. 

"That  we  may  be  always  prepared  for  war,  but 
never  urisheath  the  sword  except  in  self-defence,  so 
long  as  justice,  and  our  essential  rights,  and  national 
respectability,  can  be  preserved  without  it;  for  with- 
out the  gift  of  prophecy  it  may  safely  be  pronounced, 
that,  if  this  country  can  remain  in  peace  twenty  years 
longer  (and  I  devoutly  pray,  that  it  may  do  so  to  the 
end  of  time),  such,  in  all  probability,  will  be  its  popu- 
lation, riches,  and  resources,  when  combined  with  its 
peculiarly  happy  and  remote  situation  from  the  othei 
quarters  of  the  globe,  as  to  bid  defiance,  in  a  jusl 
cause,  to  any  earthly  power  whatsoever. 

"  That,  whensoever  and  so  long  as  we  profess  to  be 
neutral,  our  public  conduct,  whatever  our  private 
affections  may  be,  may  accord  therewith ;  without 
Buffering  partialities  on  one  hand,  or  prejudices  on 
the  other,  to  control  our  actions.  A  contrary  practice 
is  not  only  incompatible  with  our  declarations,  but  la 
pregnant  with  mischief,  embarrassing  to  the  adminis- 
tration, tending  to  divide  us  into  parties,  and  ulti- 
mately productive  of  all  those  evils  and  horrors,  which 
proceed  from  faction. 

"  That  our  Union  may  be  as  lasting  as  time ;  for, 
while  we  are  encircled  in  one  band,  we  shall  possess 
the  strength  of  a  giant,  and  there  will  be  none  who 
can  make  us  afraid.  Divide,  and  we  shall  become 
weak,  a  prey  to  foreign  intrigues  and  internal  discord, 
and  shall  be  as  miserable  and  contemptible,  as  we  are 
now  enviable  and  happy. 

"That  the  several  departments  of  government  may 
be  preserved  in  their  utmost  constitutional  purity, 
without  any  attempt  of  one  to  encroach  on  the  rights 


HINTS,    OR    HEADS    OP    TOPICS.  431 

or  privileges  of  another;  that  the  general  and  State 
governments  may  move  in  their  proper  orbits ;  and 
that  the  authorities  of  our  own  constitution  may  be 
respected  by  ourselves,  as  the  most  certain  means  of 
having  them  respected  by  foreigners. 

"  In  expressing  these  sentiments  it  will  readily  be 
perceived,  that  I  can  have  no  other  view  now,  what- 
ever malevolence  might  have  ascribed  to  it  before, 
than  such  as  results  from  a  perfect  conviction  of  the 
utility  of  the  measure.  If  public  servants,  in  the  ex- 
ercise of  their  official  duties,  are  found  incompetent, 
or  pursuing  wrong  courses,  discontinue  them.  If 
they  are  guilty  of  mal-practices  in  office,  let  them  be 
more  exemplarily  punished.  In  both  cases,  the  con- 
stitution and  laws  have  made  provision ;  but  do  not 
withdraw  your  confidence  from  them,  the  best  incen- 
tive to  a  faithful  discharge  of  their  duty,  without  just 
cause  ;  nor  infer,  because  measures  of  a  complicated 
nature,  which  time,  opportunity,  and  close  investiga- 
tion alone  can  penetrate,  for  these  reasons  are  not 
easily  comprehended  by  those,  who  do  not  possess 
the  means,  that  it  necessarily  follows  they  must  be 
wrong.  This  would  not  ;only  be  doing  injustice  to 
your  trustees,  but  be  counteracting  your  own  essen- 
tial interests,  rendering  those  trustees,  if  not  con- 
temptible in  the  eyes  of  the  world,  little  better  at 
least  than  ciphers  in  the  administration  of  the  gov- 
ernment, and  the  constitution  of  your  own  choosing 
would  reproach  you  for  such  conduct." 

"Whether  these  hints  were  sent  to  Hamilton,  as  here 
written,  or  to  what  extent  they  were  previously  en 


432  APPENDIX. 

larged  and  arranged,  cannot  now  be  told.  It  will  be 
seen,  however,  that  they  include  nearly  all  the  elements 
of  the  principal  points  of  the  address,  as  it  was  finally 
published.  After  the  draft  had  been  transmitted  to 
Hamilton,  he  discouraged  the  idea  of  incorporating 
Mr.  Madison's  draft,  in  its  distinct  form,  on  account 
of  the  apparent  incongruity  of  the  thing,  and  because 
he  thought  some  of  its  sentiments  not  suited  to  the 
objects  proposed  in  this  last  address.  He  accordingly 
sketched  two  plans,  or  drafts,  one  on  the  basis  of  an 
incorporation,  the  other  on  that  of  an  original  form, 
submitting  it  to  the  judgment  of  Washington  to  de- 
cide which  was  the  preferable  method.  He  chose  the 
latter.  Several  letter^  passed  between  them.  Sug- 
gestions were  made  on  both  sides,  some  of  which  were 
approved  and  adopted,  others  disapproved  and  rejected. 
The  drafts  were  sent  back  and  forth  from  the  one  to 
the  other.  The  work  was  nearly  four  months  in 
hand;  and  was  execut'ed  with  a  deliberation  and 
solicitude,  which  prove  the  deep  sense  that  each  en- 
tertained of  its  importance,  and  of  the  advanta^^s  to 
be  derived  from  it  to  the  country. 


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